The Fires of Vengeance
by Halcyon Seraphim
Summary: After realizing that his very presence is a danger to Kaoru and the others, Kenshin leaves the Kamiya dojo, unaware that he's leaving a little something more behind than just his friends. And years later, that something wants him dead... UPDATED! Chapter
1. The Match Is Lit

**The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 1: The Match Is Lit**

JK (watching while everyone gasps in shock): Yes, I _am_ writing a non-humor fic.

Evil Authoress: What is running through your mind, child?

JK: Well, a friend of mine once said that every angst writer has to have at least one, crappy, humor fic. So I say that every humor writer has to have at least one, crappy, serious fic.

Kenshin: It makes sense, that it does.

Sanosuke: Don't listen to him, JK. He's just trying to get on your good side so you don't make him suffer.

JK: I know. But it won't work, Kenshin.

Kenshin (distraught): Why not?

JK: Because in a non-humor fic, someone is bound to suffer unless it's romance. 

Kenshin: But what about all the other types like supernatural, action/adventure, and poetry?

Sanosuke: Poetry? Who the hell writes poetry?

JK: Sanosuke!

Sanosuke: What did I do?

Yahiko: It's not polite to insult poets. Unless you insult poets like Kaoru who writes little love messages to a certain red-haired, violet-eyed, cross-shaped scarred—

Kenshin: We get it, Yahiko!

Sanosuke (slapping Kenshin on the back): Aw…he's embarrassed.

Kaoru: I do _not write love notes to him!_

JK: Yes you do. I have one right here. (reads from the note) Dearest Kenshin, Today marks the one week anniversary since I met you. I have to admit, it was love at first sight for me. And I don't know how you feel, but if your affection is anything like mine it's no surprise you can't sleep at night. I know I can't. You're in my dreams _and my nightmares. I know! You're stalking me, aren't you? I knew men couldn't be trusted! And another thing—_

Megumi: Tsk, tsk. No wonder Kenshin won't even look at you, Kaoru.

Kaoru: I never gave him the note, Megumi!

Evil Authoress: So you're confessing that you wrote it! And this isn't the end of Kaoru's suffering!

Kaoru: What's that supposed to mean?

JK: That you suffer quite a bit in this fic.

Sanosuke: So…Kenshin and Kaoru suffer, right?

JK: Yup.

Sanosuke: How? They don't get married or something?

Kaoru and Kenshin: SANOSUKE!

Sanosuke: And what happens to me, Megumi, Yahiko, and everyone else?

Yahiko: Megumi's probably suffering from being married to you, Sano.

Sanosuke (after gasping): I _can't be married to Megumi! That would mean I would have to stick with only one woman!_

(Megumi bashes Sanosuke on the head with a frying pan.)

Megumi: He was _begging to be hit._

JK: Anyway, without further ado (or stupidity of the characters) I present you with the fic! Enjoy! (Or at least _try_ to.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin. I don't own his reverse-blade sword. Heck, I don't even own a wooden sword! Now I'm depressed! Thanks, you damn disclaimer!

Disclaimer: Anytime.

JK: (stares) Okay…before I completely lose my mind, I don't own any part of Rurouni Kenshin. On to the fic!

            "Let's see…one yen…two yen…and…what the hell?! This can't be all the money I have!" said Sanosuke, and began scanning the area around him to see if he dropped any money. Kenshin burst out laughing and had to shove his fist in his mouth to stifle the sound.

            "SHUT UP, KENSHIN!" Sanosuke screamed. Kenshin stopped, but a very evident smile remained on his face.

            "So, Sano, what exactly do you intend to gamble with?" Kenshin asked. Sanosuke was still looking around for money he, or any other unsuspecting soul, had dropped, but he managed to reply.

            "Your money," he said simply. Kenshin's smile was immediately replaced by a sour look.

            "What money?" 

            Sanosuke stopped. "Don't you work, Kenshin?"

            "No," Kenshin replied. "Kaoru-dono usually takes care of matters regarding money." Sanosuke snickered.

            "You're so manly, Kenshin!"

            "You shut up, Sano! And besides, where do you get your money from?" Kenshin never saw Sanosuke doing work of any kind ever since he quit the fighter-for-hire business, and he suspected whatever money Sanosuke did make, it wasn't from any noble cause.

            "That's for me to know and you to never find out," said Sanosuke.

            "You and Megumi aren't running some kind of secret underground opium network, are you?" Kenshin asked slyly.

            "Very funny," said Sanosuke. "Speaking of women, Kenshin, how do you manage to stay with only Kaoru? I mean, if she was a _normal girl then I'd get it but she's so…"_

            "So…?"

            "She's so…Kaoru," said Sanosuke, frowning. "I would never be able to stay with just her."

            "I really don't understand what you mean, Sano," said Kenshin with his rurouni innocence.

            "Come on, Kenshin. The walls aren't thick and I'm not deaf. I hear noises coming from—"

            "It appears we have arrived, Sano," said Kenshin quickly and entered the house. Kenshin may have been swift, but that didn't stop Sanosuke from seeing that his friend had turned a pale shade of crimson. Pleased with himself, Sanosuke followed Kenshin inside.

            "So how much money do you have today, Sano?" one of his friends asked. Before answering, Sanosuke looked around to see where Kenshin had gotten to. 

            He was sitting in a corner quietly, sipping his tea again. Sanosuke sighed. _He's not going to be any help to me if he doesn't guess right at least twice. _Sanosuke thought, disgruntled. _Especially since I only have two yen… "Oh crap!" Sanosuke yelped._

            "What?" his friend asked.

            "I only have two yen," said Sanosuke, blushing.

            "Well, that's okay. You can go home after we take all your money," said his friend happily. 

            "So we'll go home in a few minutes, we will," said Kenshin, smiling at Sanosuke. Sanosuke sat down next to Kenshin.

            "You better place a good bet at least once, or God help me I'll kill you," said Sanosuke in a murderous whisper. Kenshin calmly sipped his tea.

            "I'll try," said Kenshin.

            "Okay, let's begin," said Sanosuke's friend. (A/N: I'd give him a name…but when it comes to names, I suck.) "Pick two numbers."

            "Er…evens six and four," said Sanosuke tentatively. The dice were rolled, and the result wasn't in Sanosuke's favor: three and five.

            "Damn it…" Sanosuke muttered. Kenshin continued to sip his tea while Sanosuke glared at him.

            When it was their turn again, Sanosuke made Kenshin choose the numbers. "Are you sure, Sano? My luck is horrible. I'll probably make you lose all of the rest of your money."

            "Pick the damn numbers!"

            "Evens, six and four."

            "Kenshin, I just picked those!"

            "If we choose the same numbers over and over rather than skipping around, there's a greater chance we'll win," said Kenshin calmly. 

            "Really?" Sanosuke asked. "I need to start learning the Hiten Mitsurugi style." Kenshin sighed. Probability had absolutely nothing to do with the Hiten Mitsurugi style. It was just plain old common sense.

            "So, evens six and four?" his friend asked.

            Sanosuke nodded.

            "Suit yourself," he said, rolling the dice. The results, much to everyone's amazement, were six and four. Kenshin gaped at the dice while Sanosuke did a little victory dance around the room. Everyone else just looked from Sanosuke to Kenshin and back again.

            "Sano," Kenshin began when Sanosuke was seated, "what do the dice say?"

            "Six and four," said Sanosuke brightly. "Why?"

            "Wow…" Kenshin was in a state of shock and Sanosuke had to punch him to make him come to.

            "It's true what they say, you know. There _is a first time for everything," he said once his consciousness came back._

            "Yup," Sanosuke agreed. 

            "Evens, two and two," said Kenshin when it was their turn again.

            "Whatever happened to that whole 'pick the same numbers' philosophy?" Sanosuke asked.

            "Well, the chances of it landing on the same numbers twice in a row are slimmer, so I decided to pick different numbers," said Kenshin. 

            "Whatever. They better be right, Kenshin." Once again, the dice matched Kenshin's bet.

            "Yeah, Kenshin, your luck is _really bad," said Sanosuke sarcastically._

            "I guess it isn't as bad as I thought it was," said Kenshin.

An hour later Sanosuke and Kenshin left the house of Sanosuke's friend, considerably richer than they were when they had entered it. Sanosuke was parading the streets like he owned them, and Kenshin was quietly walking alongside him.

            "Make way for the luckiest men in Japan!" Sanosuke shouted. "Hey, moron, move aside. Sanosuke Sagara and Kenshin Himura coming through!"

            "I don't give a raccoon's ass about you two," said the man who had intentionally bumped into them.

            "Hey, Kenshin, I believe Squinty just insulted your girlfriend," said Sanosuke.

            "Saitou? What are you doing here?" Kenshin asked suspiciously.

            "Some stupid felon escaped from prison yesterday. Shame, and he was going to be executed too. He was seen somewhere in Tokyo, and I was sent to look for him. I doubt I'll find him, though," said Saitou.

            "Hey, don't you think you should be a little more worried about this, Squinty?" Sanosuke asked.

            "Number one, don't call me Squinty. Number two, no, I don't," said Saitou, still with his unnerving calmness. 

            "Well, if you don't care, then I don't see why we should," said Sanosuke happily and continued on his way. "Step aside! Luckiest _and_ richest men in Japan coming through!"

            "Battousai," Saitou said quietly, having to bend down so Kenshin could hear him, "be on your guard. The man was a great admirer of yours, and there's a great chance he went from Akita all the way to Tokyo just to find you."

            "Thanks for the warning, Saitou, but I think this felon will be disappointed when he sees that I've sworn off my hitokiri ways and won't bother me again," said Kenshin confidently. But although he acted calm and rational, Kenshin's mind was in turmoil.

            "Don't thank me, Battousai. Tokio made me do it. In fact, I would've liked to watch this whole charade play out without you knowing a thing," said Saitou evilly. "Anyway, I really must get going." He proceeded to walk in the direction Sanosuke and Kenshin had just come from. Kenshin stood as if rooted to the spot, turning everything over in his mind. _This is all too strange. First I dream about the times before even the Revolution. Then my luck is impeccable during gambling, and I know it's been years since so much as _one_ of the numbers I guessed appeared on a die. And lastly, Saitou shows up with a warning that someone may be looking for me. Could it be that all these events are linked somehow? Is something really going to happen?_

            "Kenshin!" Sanosuke called, breaking into Kenshin's thoughts. "Did someone attach lead to your feet? Come on! I want to show Megumi that I'm richer than she is!"

            Kenshin shook his head. _No. Everything's normal. Sanosuke and his bizarre way of showing affection for Megumi is proof of that. Nothing dangerous is going to happen to Kaoru and the others. It's all inside my head. And yet another little voice spoke in the back of his mind as he followed Sanosuke. __It's what I thought last time, though. The time when Saitou showed up and nearly killed Sanosuke. Something is__ going to happen, although what that something is even I don't know. I just hope no one except for me will be harmed. Kenshin thought. It was then that he noticed that Sanosuke was no longer parading through the streets and shouting about how he and Kenshin were rich. Instead, he was staring at Kenshin with concern etched all over his face,_

            "What's the matter, Kenshin? You haven't said a word for the past five minutes. Just what exactly did Saitou tell you?" he asked.

            Kenshin smiled his rurouni smile. "Nothing at all, Sano. I was just figuring out the best way to make sure you don't end up with any of my money."

            "Hey! That money belonged to _my friends, you know!" said Sanosuke angrily. "And if it wasn't for me, you would never have won it in the first place!"_

            "Calm down, Sano! I was kidding!" Kenshin said, holding his hands up to protect himself since Sanosuke looked like he could kill someone. 

            "I knew that," said Sanosuke. "Make way for the great Sanosuke Sagara and Kenshin Himura!" _Doesn't he get tired of screaming that?_ Kenshin thought, somewhat irritated.

"Now, where's Megumi?" Sanosuke asked when he reached the Kamiya dojo. He went inside to find someone to gloat to. Kenshin waited for him outside. For some reason, he felt that he just couldn't go in, almost as if he would find something too disturbing if he did. Or that he would miss seeing something important happen outside.

            "How much do you want to bet that they all went off to the Akabeko to eat without us?" Sanosuke asked, coming out of the dojo.

            "What do you mean?" Kenshin asked, keeping the alarm in his voice to a minimum.

            "No one's home!" said Sanosuke angrily. He watched as Kenshin's eyes narrowed like they always did when he was being serious.

            "They would never leave without us, Sanosuke," he said. "Besides, it's too late for a beef pot." They were both silent for a moment, Sanosuke angry that there was no one to show off his yen to and Kenshin contemplating what may have happened.

            "Maybe they're out back or something," said Sanosuke, and ran to go check. It was only then that Kenshin noticed a note pinned to a tree near the dojo. Sighing with relief, he went to go read it. _I knew there was no reason to panic. He thought._

            He ripped off the note and read it to himself.

_ Battousai,_

_            Hopefully this letter reaches you before your woman's precious dojo burns to the ground, taking this letter with it. I am a humble fan of yours who has admired you since I was five years old and first heard of your existence. And I must say I was rather disappointed to discover that you have become a pathetic wanderer who has sworn off killing. And you also carry a reverse-blade sword now! What is running through your mind, Battousai? With skills such as yours you could probably take over __Japan__ if you were to gather followers! But you are letting your skills go to waste, Battousai. Why? Why would an assassin like you, famous during the Revolution and after, decide to throw away such a glorious past and the prospect of an even more glorious future? I have run away from the police in __Akita__ a day before my execution just to get to the bottom of this. And when you do answer all my questions, I have a favor to ask of you. My life is not one worth living, so I did not run away from execution simply because I wanted to save myself. I want you to kill me, Battousai. There is nothing I would love more than to die with the Battousai's sword tasting my blood. I __will choose when I wish to die and who shall kill me, not the police. I await your arrival at the docks. _

_Sincerely,_

_                                                                                                      Shinta Wakamaru_

_P.S. I suspected that you would never agree to come, so I've taken extra precaution. I have your woman and your friends here with me, so if you wish to see them alive ever again I advise you to come._

Kenshin stared at the letter as if it was a bomb that was about to go off. _I knew this would happen. He thought. __I should've done something to prevent it from happening, but I denied it to myself. Wait…what does he mean, "before your woman's precious dojo burns to the ground"? He couldn't have… Kenshin sniffed the air and found traces of smoke in it._

            "Kenshin!" Sanosuke called, running over to him. "There's a fire!"

            "I know, Sanosuke. I will leave you here to put it out while I go find Kaoru and the others," said Kenshin, and began running in the direction of the docks.

            "Hold on a minute, Kenshin!" He grabbed Kenshin by the shoulder. "Where are Kaoru and the others?"

            Kenshin turned around to face him, his eyes a cold shade of blue rather than the usual lavender. "_I _will be the one to go save them, Sanosuke. Do as I request." Sanosuke let go, but Kenshin didn't run just yet. "You were wrong, Sanosuke. We are not the luckiest men in Japan," said Kenshin, and then continued running at a pace faster than Sanosuke had ever seen Kenshin run. And the tone he employed…it wasn't his usual way of speaking. When Kenshin was in a battle his tone was colder than when he was hanging laundry, for example, but never did it have the harsh quality of his manslayer countenance. Kenshin wasn't back to being Hitokiri Battousai completely, but if someone didn't snap him out of it, their dear little rurouni would be wiped from existence.

"This is pointless, you know," said Kaoru angrily to Shinta Wakamaru. "Kenshin will never return to being a manslayer. I'm afraid the police will have to kill you after all."

            Shinta glanced at her coldly before flinging a dart in her direction. It caught her hair, but didn't damage anything more than that. 

            "Quiet, woman. The Battousai _will do as I want. Otherwise, you shall die." Shinta walked over to Kaoru and caressed her face for a second. "I can see why the Battousai wouldn't want anything to happen to you. You're very pretty."_

            "That's a huge insult coming from you," said Kaoru, shrinking back.

            "Shut up, Kaoru!" said Yahiko, speaking for the first time since they got there. "Talking back to someone who has a sword when you have your hands tied behind your back is a very stupid thing to do!"

            "Well, well, well," said Shinta, walking over to Yahiko. "You can talk. And all the while I was thinking that you were mute."

            "I wish he was," Megumi muttered. Since Shinta was right next to her, he heard this.

            "And you have a voice too. Good. I don't know how long it'll be before the Battousai shows up, so I'd like someone other than this loud-mouthed girl over here to keep me company."

            "Stop calling him Battousai!" Kaoru shouted. "Kenshin will never become a manslayer again!"

            "Toying with people's emotions can bring out the worst in people, miss," said Shinta matter-of-factly.

            "He has a point, Kaoru-dono." All four of them spun around to find Kenshin calmly approaching them. "And the same would be true for me…if I was your average person." Kaoru, Yahiko, and Megumi immediately noticed that his voice was different from his calm, cute one. 

            "Ah, Battousai. I knew you would show up. Your girlfriend was trying to convince me otherwise. She must not have much faith in you. Did you have to pay her or something?" asked Shinta.

            "You bastard! How dare you imply that I'm that kind of woman?!" Kaoru screamed.

            "Shut up, Kaoru!" Megumi and Yahiko ordered.

            "So…Shinta Wakamaru…coincidences can be rather frightening," Kenshin asked.

            "I like your tone, Battousai. It sounds like you would be ready to tear me to shreds. But can you wait until after my interrogation?" Shinta asked.

            "First I would like it if you listened to what I have to say…Shinta," said Kenshin.  

            "You seem to find my name interesting," Shinta observed.

            "Then I suppose it really is a coincidence that you bear the name I once did. The name given to me by my parents was Shinta, but when Hiko Seijurou began teaching me the Hiten Mitsurugi style, he dubbed my name too weak for a future assassin. Kenshin seemed more suitable considering it means 'heart of sword,'" Kenshin explained.

            "Well, I feel honored to have anything in common with you, Battousai," Shinta said brightly. Kenshin blinked.

            "You had questions for me, did you not, Shinta? I will answer them as best I can. I became a wanderer because I feel guilty for all the lives I've taken. With my sword I wish to repent for what I have done rather than commit more sins. It's that simple. As for the glorious past and future you spoke of, I see no such glory in murder. And I have no intention of stripping Japan of its government, no matter how feeble it is," said Kenshin. "And if that is all you wished to know, then I will be taking my friends back home and will allow you to leave peacefully if they are not harmed."

            "Tsk, tsk. You truly are weak now. Coming face to face with my idol after all these years has left me disappointed. I was obsessed with you, Battousai. Every one of my actions occurred only after I wondered whether or not you would do the same. I learned swordsmanship only because of you, not because I wanted to learn it. To be honest…" Shinta grimaced. "…I was afraid of swords. "But I suppose I can still ask you for that favor, can't I?"

            "I have no intention of killing you, or anyone else ever again, Shinta Wakamaru. All I ask is that you step aside while I take what isn't yours to manipulate and head home," said Kenshin.

            "Ah…I hear a trace of a hitokiri in that statement, Battousai. When you say they're not mine to manipulate, does that mean they're yours?" asked Shinta.

            "No. And I refuse to answer anymore of your brainless questions," said Kenshin, his voice even colder than it was the last time he spoke. He moved his hand to his sword, but then thought better of it and put his hand back to its previous position. _Mr. Wakamaru might take it as an indication that I would ever even _consider_ killing him as I am now. Thought Kenshin. _

            "Well then, Battousai. I suppose you need some persuasion," said Shinta, calmly strolling over to Kaoru. He unsheathed his sword and put it to Kaoru's neck. "Do you think your woman would be pretty without her head?"

            "Step away from Kaoru before I make you regret that your wench of a mother brought you screaming into this world," Kenshin said in a harsh whisper. Immediately he was sorry he had spoken.

            "Well…it certainly sounds like you would be willing to kill me if I touched her," Shinta said. "Then you leave me with no choice, Battousai." He began pressing the sword against her neck, but Kaoru managed to kick him before he could do too much damage.

            "There was no need for that," Shinta said, standing up and clutching his stomach. "I wouldn't have _really killed you. It may have hurt, but you would have lived."_

            "Kaoru! Are you okay?" Kenshin asked, alarmed.

            "I'll be okay…" she said weakly. Kenshin studied her, the anger building inside him. When he fist found out about this admirer of his, Kenshin was angrier than he had ever been because Kaoru and the others were in danger because of him. But now, he felt a fury one hundred times greater than that of the one he felt then. He was actually considering _killing Shinta Wakamaru so Kaoru wouldn't be harmed anymore. _And I'll have to do it fast, too. _He thought as he watched the blood flow down Kaoru's neck and stain the collar of her kimono since she was unable to wipe it away. _

             "Although killing you is awfully tempting now, Shinta Wakamaru, I refuse to give you that satisfaction," Kenshin said. Before he could continue, Shinta turned to Kaoru and slashed her arm.

           "Will you give me that satisfaction now, Battousai?" Shinta asked slyly. Kenshin looked at Kaoru again. _All of his attacks seemed to be aimed only at her...is it possible that he knows something I don't about Kaoru? Something that would really concern me if I did_ know? _Kenshin wondered. Kaoru was sitting quietly, not crying out or showing any signs at all that she was in pain. But Kenshin knew that she was, and that it was a pain only she could be able to withstand. And it was all because of him, because she didn't want him to become a manslayer again just to avenge her pain. _She's terrified, I can tell. She doesn't want me to become a hitokiri ever again, even if it means that she'll suffer._ Kenshin closed his eyes and when he opened them again he knew that they were amber-colored._

            "I'm sorry, Kaoru," he said softly, and flipped the blade of his sword. (A/N: Before I continue, for those who don't know, when Kenshin's eyes become amber-colored it means that he's become Battousai. When he's his kawaii, wanderer self they're lavender, and when he's facing someone in battle or something serious is going on, his eyes are narrow and kind of blue.)

            "Finally," said Shinta, "I thought I'd never get you to crack." 

"No…Kenshin, don't do it. Please. Not for me…"Kaoru pleaded helplessly. Kenshin didn't hear her. 

            "You'll regret this, Shinta. Your death will not be a quick one, and it won't be without pain," Kenshin warned.

            "Feh. Like I care about that. As long as you kill me, I'm happy," said Shinta. Kenshin spat.

            "Enjoy your trip to hell, then," he said. Then he seemed to disappear from view.

            "You mean you're going to use one your Hiten Mitsurugi moves on me, Battousai? I'm truly honored," said Shinta.

            _He's mad! _Thought Yahiko, watching as Kenshin appeared above Shinta.

           "Ryu-Tsui-Sen!" Kenshin screamed, and brought his sword down on Shinta's unsuspecting, but thrilled, head.

            "Ba-battousai. You…didn't…" Shinta choked.

            "I didn't what? Kill you?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru managed to smile. He had returned to his usual self. His eyes were blue, but his voice was normal.

            "Why…didn't…" Shinta asked weakly.

            "Because," said Kenshin, "I couldn't stand the thought of doing you a favor after you harmed Kaoru-dono."

            "But…how…"

            "I flipped the blade of my sword back at the very last moment. Sorry, but no matter how close I get to being the Battousai again, I'll never kill," said Kenshin. But as soon as he uttered the second sentence he knew it was a lie. By the time he flipped his sword back, there was only about a millimeter left for the sword to travel to hit Shinta. And it had taken all his will-power to do so.

            "I told you, Shinta Wakamaru! I told you that you would never get Kenshin to kill again!" said Kaoru triumphantly. Then, she fainted from blood loss.

            "Perfect timing, Kaoru," Yahiko muttered as Kenshin untied him.

            "He didn't harm the both of you, did he?" Kenshin asked. Megumi and Yahiko shook their heads.

            "He probably knew you liked Kaoru. Otherwise he wouldn't have kept calling her your woman," said Yahiko smartly.

            "Or maybe he knew something even I don't," said Kenshin.

            "What?" Megumi asked. _Does he suspect it? _She thought.

            "Never mind," said Kenshin, shaking his head. He was now completely back to being a rurouni, so he didn't want to worry anyone any further. 

            "What about him?" Megumi asked, indicating Shinta.

            "He's paralyzed. The police will find him here tomorrow, and he will be executed like he was supposed to be in the first place. I feel bad for the poor fellow, though. His insanity led him to have his life end very early. He can't be older than sixteen," said Kenshin. He lifted Kaoru. "Let's go see if Sanosuke managed to put the fire out, shall we?"  

Kenshin stared at the charred remains of the back of the dojo. To him, they would always serve as remnants that his past could never be erased. And he would serve as the same kind of remnant to everyone he knew.

            "You okay, Kenshin?" Sanosuke asked, coming out to see what he was doing. Kenshin nodded. They stood in silence for a moment before Sanosuke said, "Megumi said Kaoru should be fine." Kenshin nodded again. "She also told me everything that happened."

            "Sano…remember what Saitou once said?" Kenshin asked.

            "Who in their right mind would pay attention to anything Squinty says?" Sanosuke asked in return.

            "He once said that a manslayer will always be a manslayer," said Kenshin. Sanosuke wasn't sure if he was talking to him or to himself.

            "Yeah, and?" Sanosuke ventured. What was Kenshin driving at?

            "I didn't want to believe it…but now I agree with him," said Kenshin. "I think it's finally time for me to go off wandering again, Sano. And this time, I won't tell any of you where I'm going. Don't follow me. And please explain to everyone that my reason for doing this is that since I'm a manslayer, I may end up harming them or they may end up being harmed by someone connected to me." He stood up. "Please understand, Sano. I don't want to cause anyone anymore unnecessary pain."

            "Kenshin, don't be stupid!" said Sanosuke, shoving him. "You've had a past as a manslayer since day one and it's never killed anyone!" 

            Kenshin smiled sadly. "Not yet, you mean."

            "I told you! Kaoru will be fine!"

            "That's this time, Sano. There's no guarantee that everyone will survive the next time this happens," said Kenshin. "Please. The reason I'm asking you to pass this on is because I would be tempted to stay if I had to explain it to another person."

            "Kenshin, I can't let you leave," said Sanosuke. "Don't think we were happy about it last time."

            "I'm sorry, Sano," said Kenshin. He turned away from Sanosuke and began walking away, leaving him standing there, dumbfounded.

Kaoru woke up, feeling nauseous. Then suddenly, she retched, narrowly missing her futon.

            At that moment Megumi entered the room and looked at Kaoru sadly.

            "I just spoke to Sanosuke," she said,

            "And what did he—" Kaoru wasn't able to complete her sentence since she had to turn around and throw up again.

            "Kaoru…" Megumi was unable to continue.

            "Never mind that, Megumi," said Kaoru. "Can you please tell Kenshin to come in here? I have something important to tell him."

            "I'm afraid I can't do that, Kaoru," said Megumi.

            "Why not?" Kaoru asked. She was feeling very sick, but she needed to tell Kenshin her news. And Megumi toying with her wasn't making her feel any better.

            "Kaoru…Kenshin left," said Megumi quietly.

            "What?"

            "He left."

            "Well, he better come home soon. This is really important!" said Kaoru. "When _is_ he coming back?"

            "Never," said Megumi. Kaoru gaped at her, wide-eyed.

            "No," she said, shaking her head in disbelief, "it can't be! Kenshin wouldn't leave!"

            "He would and he did, Kaoru! And you're just going to have to accept that," said Megumi. Then her expression softened when she saw that Kaoru was silent, tears flowing out of her blue eyes. "I'm sorry."

            "You don't understand, Megumi! There's no way you'll ever understand what I'm feeling right now!" Kaoru screamed miserably. 

            "I know that you feel horrible, Kaoru, but—"

            "There's a reason I've been throwing up so often," Kaoru interrupted, not wanting to hear any condolences. "Megumi…I'm…I'm…" Kaoru couldn't bring herself to utter the word.

            Megumi hated being a doctor at that particular moment. "I know, Kaoru. I know. You've been throwing up so often because you're…because…" She couldn't bring herself to say it either. It was as if uttering that one word made it real, and for Kaoru it would be a very cruel reality.

            "Pregnant," Megumi said finally. "It's because you're pregnant."

JK (staring at fic): What have I done?

Evil Authoress: You've created an evil work of fiction, that's what. Oh well. It got all shoujo at the end. Shoujo is good! (munches on popcorn)

JK: Shoujo is girl's manga/anime, by the way. And I'm sorry this was so long! But when I get behind a keyboard, I start typing like the Energizer bunny. 

(Cricket sounds can be heard.)

JK: Anyway, I know this wasn't too serious at the beginning, but there's no way you could call the ending humor. 

Evil Authoress: Yeah, yeah. Skip the crap. What do we get if we review?

JK: Well…you could get a plushie of your favorite character. Or plushies if you have more than one. Or you could get a plushie of your least favorite character so you could stick pins into it and turn it into a voodoo doll. I don't care. Just tell me what you want in a review, and I'll distribute them next chapter.

Evil Authoress: My review's going to cost you one Sano and one Seta plushie.

JK: Fine. And speaking of reviews, I generally pray that I'll get ten, but since not many people watch Rurouni Kenshin I won't be surprised if I get less than half that amount. But I'll only continue if I get four. Oh, and all flames will be used to burn Shishio (again) and we might even add his "girlfriend" to the kindling.

Evil Authoress: And if anyone has a good girl's name for a character, she'd be really happy if you told it to her in a review.

JK: Thanks for taking the time to read my feeble attempt at a non-humor fic! 


	2. Overcoming Grief

**The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 2: Overcoming Grief**

JK: YAY! I GOT MORE REVIEWS THAN I ASKED FOR! ARIGATOU! (jumps up and down happily until Yahiko throws his flip-flop at her)  
Yahiko: Someone had to shut you up.  
Evil Authoress (after smacking Yahiko on the back ofhis head): Easy with the footwear!   
Yahiko: Sorry. Sheesh. Women are touchy.  
(Kaoru glares at Yahiko.)  
Misao: You need to stop with all your wise cracks about girls, Yahiko.  
Yahiko: What would ugly girls like you know?  
Misao: THAT'S IT! (punches Yahiko in the face) As a member of the Oniwabanshu you should really take me more seriously that that!  
Saitou: Is the Weasel starting trouble for everyone again?  
Yahiko: Great, Saitou's here!  
(Everyone stares at Yahiko as if he's just contracted some severe mental illness and is displaying obvious symptoms.)  
Yahiko: What? He can arrest Misao!  
Misao: Just try and arrest me. (sticks up fists) I dare you!  
(Saitou backs away slowly.)  
Misao: I thought so! Hah! Women rule, and men…well…men…they just suck. Who agrees with me?  
(Every girl in the room and Kenshin raise their hands.)  
Sanosuke: Kenshin! You're an insult to males!  
Evil Authoress: Kenshin is a male? Since when?  
JK: Evil Authoress… (picks up sword that just happens to be lying there)  
Evil Authoress: What? I was stating a fact!  
(JK brandishes sword threateningly.)  
Evil Authoress: I was just kidding. Sheesh.  
Yahiko: See, women are touchy!  
JK and Evil Authoress: YAHIKO!  
Sanosuke: I can't believe you raised your hand. Maybe you heard her wrong. She said women rule and men suck.  
Kenshin: I know.  
Sanosuke: And you're okay with it?!  
Kenshin: Well…to be honest, I was worried that if I didn't raise my hand JK would make me suffer in this fic.  
Sanosuke: Hold on. I'm a little confused. Didn't she already make you suffer?  
Kenshin (blankly): How so?  
Kaoru: KENSHIN YOU JERK! (kicks him)  
Kenshin: OW! What did I do?  
JK: I'm guessing it's because you left her and don't seem to care about it. Oh well. Or maybe she was upset because you did a little too much—  
Saitou: Don't go there.  
Evil Authoress: Saitou's a little naïve. Tell me, do you even know what a wedding night is?  
Saitou: Yeah, and apparently Battousai and Raccoon Girl couldn't wait that long.  
Kaoru: SAITOU!  
Kenshin: Yeah, we couldn't. So?  
JK: Let's not get into details! To everyone who reviewed and requested a plushie, enjoy! (hands them out to reviewers)   
Evil Authoress: SETA! (glomps plushie)  
Seta: That does not look like me. I'm much cuter.  
Evil Authoress: Yes you are! (glomps Seta)  
Seta: Ow…the pain…  
JK: Anyway—  
Seta: GET HER OFF ME! I'M BEING SUFFOCATED FOR THE LOVE OF SHISHIO!  
Shishio: I am so respected by my minions.  
JK: How do you replace "god" with "Shishio"? I don't get you.  
Evil Authoress: I've stopped trying. (glomps Seta again)  
Shishio: Ladies, ladies, gather round! There's plenty of me to go around.  
Sanosuke: What the hell was that? Poetry?  
JK: What in all the hells do you have against poetry, Sano?!  
Sanosuke: To sum it up in one word: Kaoru.  
Kaoru: I am not a bad poet! Listen to the poem I wrote just yesterday.  
JK: That's nice and all, but Kaoru, I have to start the second chapter.   
(Kaoru stares at the story. She screams.)  
Kaoru: NOT THIS FIC!  
JK (smiling evilly): Oh yes, this fic.   
  
Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. If I did, the characters would fear me more than they already do.  
Kenshin: I don't fear you. You got me away from Kaoru! For that I shall worship you for all eternity!

Evil Authoress: See, I always knew he had a good head on his shoulders!   
JK: No…I think he just got into Megumi's secret opium stash again.  
Megumi: Kenshin! I told you to keep out of there!

Megumi closed the rice-paper screen to Kaoru's room behind her and was met with Sanosuke's piercing gaze.

            "How is she?" he asked.

            Megumi sighed. "Not too good. I was forced to give her sleeping medicine to make her calm down. She's really miserable."

            "And…er…why is that?" Sanosuke asked, looking away from Megumi in a guilty manner.

            "You know perfectly well why, Sanosuke!" Megumi snapped. "You were behind the screen listening to our conversation the whole time. I heard you. If you're going to eavesdrop, do it quietly."

            "I wasn't eavesdropping! It must've been mice that you heard…" Sanosuke lied.

            "No, all I heard was one big, fat rat," said Megumi.

            "Nice, very nice. Yeah, I happened to be passing by and overheard the conversation," said Sanosuke. "But are you sure she's pregnant? I mean, how can you tell?" Megumi eyed him skeptically.

            "I just know, okay?" she said. Sanosuke took this as a cue to shut up and listen, because Megumi looked like she had a very long diagnosis she needed to share with someone. "I'm not too worried about Kaoru's physical wounds. I treated those quite nicely. I'm more worried about what kind of toll this has taken on her mind. This can't be easy for her to withstand." She paused for a second, thoughtful. When she spoke again, her voice was very soft, almost as if she was hurt. "Sano…I can't believe Kenshin would do that to her and then just take off."

            "Hey, you make it seem like it's only his fault!" Sanosuke countered. "She was part of the whole…process too."

            "Still, Sanosuke, she's the one who will suffer because of it, not Kenshin," Megumi said.

            "Don't worry about it. Jou-chan will be fine," Sanosuke assured her. (A/N: Jou-chan is what Sanosuke calls Kaoru in the Japanese series. It basically means "Little Missy.")

            Megumi glared at him fiercely. "Sanosuke, does this sound like she'll be fine to you?" Megumi slid open the screen to Kaoru's room.

            "Please…Kenshin…come back…" came Kaoru's muffled voice. "I need you…_please_…" After allowing Sanosuke to hear that, Megumi slid the screen shut.

            "She's just like that because it just happened. Given some time, I'm sure she'll be okay," said Sanosuke confidently. Megumi didn't reply, and Sanosuke couldn't see her reaction because her back was facing him. "Hey, I don't like talking to myself." Megumi spun around to face him and when she spoke, there was a very authoritative quality in her words. It sounded as if she had reached some sort of decision.

            "Sano, I gave her a sedative. It is supposed to wipe her mind clean of any thoughts so she'll have peaceful sleep. Most people would pass out instantly after sleeping medicine that strong, but it took her a while to get to sleep. And that sleep should be completely blissful. She shouldn't even be able to _remember_ what's troubling her, let alone dream about it. If her grief can counteract the medicine so well, then she will _not_ be okay," Megumi said. Sanosuke nodded uncertainly, not really sure if Megumi was finished speaking. Five seconds later he found out she wasn't. "She won't be able to go on like this. You have to go find Kenshin and bring him back here. Otherwise…" She paused, glancing back at the screen grimly. "…otherwise Kaoru will go insane." 

            Sano didn't waste any time. He turned around and left the dojo, going in the same direction as Kenshin. _I can't believe Kenshin would do…that…to Kaoru and then take off. It couldn't have been on purpose. Kenshin wouldn't. He must not have known about Kaoru. Sanosuke thought as he walked. _I _have_ to find him._ Sanosuke frowned. _Easier said than done. I have no clue where he could've gone. But one thing's for certain. He definitely didn't go to the docks.__

Kenshin wandered around aimlessly, not sure of where he was headed. He was so preoccupied that he bumped into several people on the way and didn't even bother to apologize. All he could do was imagine and over again what Kaoru's expression would be when she found out over. _Oh well. It's better for her to hate me for leaving her than for her to love me and miss me terribly. If she hates me, she won't be as upset that I left. Maybe then she'll be able to move on in life and find someone more worthy of loving her. _Kenshin thought. _But am I really doing the right thing? And why do I feel like there's something I'm forgetting back at the dojo?_

            "Excuse me, mister?" someone asked. Kenshin looked down to find a small girl tugging on his gi. 

            "May I help you?" he asked her politely.

            "Would you like to stay at our inn?" the little girl asked.

            "Isn't it a little late for you to be outside?" Kenshin asked in return. He hadn't exactly been paying attention to the time, but he was sure it had to be past ten o'clock.

            "Well, my mommy and daddy are asleep so I manage the inn at night," the little girl said proudly.

            "I see…do they know that you're out here? It's dangerous to be outside this late at night for someone your age, that it is," Kenshin said matter-of-factly.

            "Who are you to tell me what to do? You're just some homeless bum!" the little girl shouted. _Not this again._ Kenshin thought, sighing.

            A woman came running toward them, looking both tired and sleepy. "Minako, are you bothering passing people again?" she asked the little girl sternly.

            "No…he looked wet and I thought he might need a place to stay since he's walking around in the rain," the little girl said irritably. "I was being nice."

            "I'm sure he would've come to us if he needed to stay at an inn, Minako," the woman reprimanded. _Rain? What rain? _Kenshin thought, looking up at the sky. Drops of cold water splashed his face. He hadn't even noticed it was raining. _Hmm… rain seems suitable, somehow, on a day like this._

            "And I'm sorry if she bothered you in some way," the woman said to Kenshin.

            "Oh that's all right," Kenshin answered cheerfully. "I don't mind."

            "Mr. Swordsman, wanna stay at our inn? We have warm rooms and I can cook real good!" Minako bragged. "Please?" She looked at him, a hopeful expression in her eyes.

            "I'm just passing through Tokyo," Kenshin said cheerfully. "I really have no intention of staying here."

            "How about for the night?" the little girl pleaded.

            "Are you getting paid if you convince me to go in with you, or something? You seem awfully determined," Kenshin said.

            "No. I just wanna prove to my mommy that I can run the inn all by myself. So can you stay, Mr. Swordsman?" Minako asked him. Kenshin laughed.

            "I'm sorry, but I really can't stay here long," he said apologetically. 

            "There, Minako, now can you go back inside? You're soaked and if you catch a fever there will be no way you'll run this inn by yourself for a while," Minako's mother said. "And I was asleep, just like you should've been." She walked over to their inn and stood under the roof so she wouldn't get wet. "Now Minako!" She was looking very weary, and Kenshin decided it would be best for him to continue on his way. But when he tried, Minako tugged on his gi again.

            "Wait a minute," she told him. She then turned to her mother. "Hold on a second, woman!" Kenshin stared at her. _What a disrespectful little girl. He thought. And she really wasn't helping him. He needed to be miles away from Tokyo before someone decided to look for him. __If they haven't already, that is. _

            "Can I see your sword?" Minako cut into Kenshin's thoughts, looking very bright-eyed and excited. "I never holded one before."

            "Swords are very heavy, miss. You won't be able to hold it," Kenshin said, turning to continue walking. Minako pulled on his gi, this time nearly ripping it off.

            "Come on! I just wanna look!"

            Kenshin sighed. "Fine." He unsheathed his blade and showed it to Minako. Minako squealed with happiness and ran back to her mom, watching Kenshin from a distance. _She's a very strange girl, she is._ He thought, and continued walking.

Kaoru's head was buzzing when she awoke. She felt even worse than she had that morning when she was doubled over in the yard, retching violently. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and when they did, she looked around the room, curious for a moment as to why she wasn't in her usual bedroom but rather the room Megumi usually reserved for treating someone who was sick. Kaoru propped herself up on her elbows only to fall back down due to the excruciating pain that came from her right arm. It was only when she examined her wound that the evening's events fully registered on her mind. 

            "Kenshin…" she mumbled wistfully. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why would you go?" she asked. "Why?" The tears flowed out of her eyes and down her cheeks, but Kaoru didn't brush them away. She could only keep repeating one word over and over like a constant echo: "Why?" 

            Kaoru sat in the darkness of her room, moving only when a sob escaped from her throat. For the time being, she was in complete and utter disbelief. She refused to accept that Kenshin was gone and never coming back. It was impossible. Kenshin wouldn't behave in such a cruel and vindictive way. If he was leaving, he wouldn't leave her without as much as a goodbye.

            After a few minutes elapsed, although to Kaoru those few minutes stretched out into a miserable eternity, Megumi entered the room to check on her. 

            "How are you feeling?" Megumi asked. Kaoru didn't answer, which was perfectly fine since Megumi hadn't expected her to. "You know, I sent Sanosuke off to find Kenshin. He should be back here in no time." Kaoru's reply was a simple shake of her head. 

            "What's that supposed to mean, Kaoru?" Megumi asked, a touch of annoyance in her voice.

            Kaoru shook her head again, and then said in a hoarse whisper, "He's never coming back, Megumi. _Never._" Megumi looked at her sympathetically, half-expecting her to cry, but Kaoru only sat staring at the wall, too numb to do anything but that.

            Sighing, Megumi asked, "Kaoru, can you please get up for a moment? I have to clean up after you." She tried to keep her voice free of disgust as much as possible, but she discovered that that little task was much too difficult for her. Even when she looked at the mess, Megumi couldn't help but wince. _This has to be the worst part of my job._ She thought. When she glanced at Kaoru again, Megumi realized that she hadn't moved. "Please get up, Kaoru. These conditions in a sickroom are not sanitary and will not help you get better." That statement seemed to plant Kaoru more firmly to the ground, almost as if she didn't _want to get better. And that was when Megumi realized that although Kaoru's body was there, consciously, she was somewhere else. Megumi seized Kaoru's arm, pulled her up, and then walked her over to the wall so she could lean on it for support. But Kaoru didn't bother to do that. She just swayed where she stood, threatening to crumble to the ground._

            _It's as if there's nothing there but her body. I push her and she offers no resistance. Sanosuke…you better find Kenshin. And not just for Kaoru's sake._ Megumi thought. (A/N: Three guesses who she meant by that.)

            While Megumi was distracted with cleaning up the evidence of Kaoru's pregnancy, Kaoru snuck out of the room and wandered outside, staring into the distance. Cold drops of rain beat against her skin and wind blew her hair in her face, but Kaoru paid the weather no heed. She ran desperately down the road, calling Kenshin's name. 

            "Kenshin! Come back!" Kaoru cried, her strength giving way as she sank to the ground. She beat at it with her fists, still desperately screaming, and the wound on her arm opened up again. Her kimono was now covered in a mixture of mud and blood. Eventually she calmed down, and lay on the ground. "Kenshin…please come back…" she murmured. "_Please, Kenshin."_

            "Kaoru, you can lay back down—where did she go?!" Megumi looked around the room, but she was searching in vain because Kaoru was no where in sight. _Where did that idiot girl go?_ Megumi thought, racing out of the room and down the hallway.

            She found Kaoru ten minutes later, lying in the middle of the road with her kimono sleeve drenched in what strongly looked like blood and dirt all over her formerly white article of clothing.

            "Kaoru! What the hell do you think you're doing, running off like that?! You stupid raccoon girl you could've killed yourself!" Megumi screeched. _And in your selfish moments did you ever once think what we would do if you died? Megumi thought, although she couldn't voice it out loud. Despite all their arguments, Megumi was positive that Kaoru's death would not be easy to cope with for neither her, nor Yahiko, nor Sanosuke._

            Kaoru calmly stood up, eyeing Megumi with a completely different expression than the sadness and horror that had been etched into her eyes earlier. It was a look of cheerful happiness, not unlike the look permanently plastered on Soujiro Seta's face. It was almost as if she no longer cared that Kenshin was gone and probably never coming back. (Although Megumi had just sent out Sanosuke to find Kenshin, she didn't bother getting her hopes up. The chances of him finding Kenshin were rather slim.) In fact, it looked as if she didn't even _remember_ that fact. Kaoru wiped away her tears with her sleeve, leaving a muddy trail behind.

            She smiled at Megumi and said, "I'm sorry, Megumi. It was stupid of me to leave somewhere when I was so weak. I didn't mean for you to worry."

            Megumi just stared at Kaoru, too stunned to speak. It was like the flicking of a switch. One minute, Kaoru was sobbing miserably, her seemingly bleak and cruel future hovering over her head, and the next she was cheerful, as if that future had been rewritten. 

            "I'm _sorry_, okay?" Kaoru said irritably. "I'm fine now, so you can stop looking at me like that." 

            Megumi blinked several times before saying weakly, "You sure you're okay?" _Heck, not even medicine could bring about such a recovery!_ She thought.

            "Never been better," said Kaoru. "Well, actually, I _have been better, but that's beside the point. So let's head home."_

            "Sure," Megumi replied, still studying Kaoru although not as obviously.

            They turned around and walked back, Kaoru smiling bittersweetly the whole while. She knew what she needed to do. Her future was no longer bleak. In fact, if all went according to plan she no longer had a future.

            "I need to go get something from the kitchen," Kaoru said cheerfully when they arrived. "I'll only be a minute. Wait, you know what, why don't you go get some rest? It's been a long day. I'll change my clothing on my own."

            Megumi was about to decline on Kaoru's offer, but she realized that Kaoru was looking very persistent and probably wouldn't take no for an answer so she just nodded. Thankfully, Megumi hadn't realized that Kaoru's wound had opened up again. _Good thing she's not too observant. _Kaoru thought, smiling weakly.

            "Great," said Kaoru as she and Megumi went their separate ways.

            "Now where is that damn thing?" Kaoru muttered in the kitchen. "There has to be one here somewhere!" She shifted a piece of cloth and found what she was looking for. Under that cloth laid an assortment of knives. She grabbed the one that appeared sharpest, and ran from the room.

Megumi sighed heavily and slumped down onto a pillow. She was exhausted. Glancing at the clock in the room, she thought, _I'll go check on Kaoru in a few minutes._

            "Megumi, you awake?" someone asked, entering the room.

            She opened her eyes, praying that the voice belonged to Sanosuke or Kenshin since she was too tired to tell just by listening. But she was thoroughly disappointed, for a few feet in front of her stood Yahiko.

            "Yeah, I'm awake," said Megumi. She glanced at the clock again. "Yahiko! It's almost two in the morning! Why aren't you asleep yet?"

            "You expect me to sleep, Megumi?" Yahiko demanded angrily. Then his voice was calmer. "How's Kaoru doing?"

            "Fine," Megumi replied. "Her wounds are okay."

            "Is that all that's wrong with her?" Yahiko asked.

            "Yup," Megumi lied, studying Yahiko suspiciously. Did he know something that he wasn't supposed to know? "Speaking of Kaoru, I have to go check on her." She stood up to leave.

            "Wait," Yahiko said. "Maybe you should give her some more time alone."

            "I can't leave her alone for too long," Megumi said grimly.

            "You said her wounds are okay…"

            "They are."

            "Then why?" Megumi was silent, unsure of how to answer Yahiko's question. How was she supposed to tell him that she didn't trust leaving Kaoru alone, how she feared Kaoru would commit suicide, and how she sincerely doubted that what Kaoru had taken from the kitchen had been a good thing?

            "She's my patient, Yahiko. It's dangerous to leave her unattended to for long," Megumi settled on. It wasn't really a lie…it was more of an omission of the truth.

            "Megumi…just leave her alone for a while. She must be feeling really bad," said Yahiko, acting wiser than Megumi had ever seen him. But still, she placed an intent and suspicious look on him.

            "Okay, that's it. What did Sanosuke tell you?" she asked.

            "Nothing," said Yahiko innocently. "I was behind the door with him."

            "Yahiko!" Megumi glowered at him for a moment, and then smiled. It was actually a good thing that he'd overheard the conversation. It spared her the trouble of explaining the situation to him. "Yahiko, you could be a spy, you know."

            "Megumi…I have a question," Yahiko said quietly. When Megumi looked at him, he appeared almost shy.

            "What kind of question?" she asked him cautiously. He couldn't mean _that_ question, could he?

            "Well…I wanted to ask Kenshin, I really did, but since he's gone and I figured that Sanosuke would probably scare me with gruesome details about the whole process and I obviously can't ask Kaoru after all that's happened so that leaves you," Yahiko said all in one breath. But Megumi understood what he meant just the same. It was obvious, considering he was blushing fervently now. "And after the situation with Kaoru…I guess I'm…well…more curious."

            "Shoot," said Megumi. She had explained the facts of life once before, so explaining it for a second time shouldn't have been too difficult. 

            "Well…you get my question, don't you?" Yahiko asked eagerly. His face was now a color to rival Kenshin's hair, so she decided to spare him the embarrassment of actually forcing him to say what he meant.

            "Okay. It starts out with a man, and a woman. And they…" Megumi went on and got into a pretty extensive description of what exactly happened to Kaoru. When she was done, Yahiko was looking smug, the last reaction she expected to see. "What?" Megumi asked.

            "Sanosuke was right!" said Yahiko, smiling with what looked like triumph. "Only his description was more graphical than yours."

            "If you already knew, why would you ask me?" Megumi asked, feeling very sorry she had taken pity on him earlier. She was really ticked off about having to talk about something like that unless it was absolutely necessary.

            "I suspected he was lying. It seemed a little hard to believe," Yahiko admitted. He then added, "I'll never look at Kaoru the same way again!"

            "Yahiko," Megumi warned. "Don't mention this to her."

            Yahiko glanced at his wooden sword and then said, "You know, I don't think I'll be able to look and swords and sheaths the same way again, either!" 

            "Yahiko!" Megumi screeched, smacking him on the back of the head. _So much for the naïve act. She thought sullenly._

            "It was a joke…just a joke," Yahiko said defensively, rubbing the back of his head.

Kaoru lay staring at the ceiling, the knife she stole from the kitchen clutched in her hand. Her cheerfully demeanor had completely disappeared. Tears were streaming out of her eyes unchecked. She had been holding back a lot for years, and she was finally letting herself unbottle her feelings. Although her life was nowhere near as dramatic as the other members of the group, the Revolution had not been an easy time for anyone in Japan. And it wasn't as if she hadn't had her own hardships to bear, so she was no exception. She was forced to cope with the deaths of her entire family, and she had to do it alone. And afterwards, alone was how she stayed. When she met Kenshin, he became more to her than just her friend or companion. He became her will to live on. He kept the fire of life burning inside her. Without Kenshin, it was as if that fire didn't even exist. He kept it alive, and by leaving he had extinguished it.

            When she had these thoughts, she was immediately guilty. She no longer lived just for herself, and her body was no longer just hers. If she were to die, her life would not be the only one lost. If she were to commit suicide, she'd be murdering not only herself but also the child inside her. But still…what did it matter? Without Kenshin, her life seemed worthless. Was there even a point to the child's existence if Kenshin wouldn't be there to help raise it? _No,_ a little voice in the back of her head replied sadly. _By killing it, you would be doing the child a favor._ Kaoru dropped the knife and sobbed, shaking her head.

            "I can't," she choked. _Yes you can…or at least you could…if you weren't so gutless, that voice teased her. Kaoru glanced at the knife. "Maybe I can," she whispered. She sat up in her futon and picked it up again. She studied it for a few moments, wondering if a slab of metal would be her demise and eventually, not even caring. _I _can__ do it. A life without you, Kenshin, she thought grimly, __is a life I don't want to live. Kaoru shut her eyes tightly and thrust the knife into her stomach. (A/N: WAIT! BEFORE YOU GO AND FLAME ME, READ THIS! I suspected that I couldn't just leave that part of the story without a note since all the Kaoru fans would click the button down there and write something like, "This story sucks. Where the hell did you learn how to write?" or "If Kaoru was real she'd kick your ass so you shouldn't be writing such crap about her!!!" Am I right? Well, if you don't really care, then by all means continue reading the story because the next line in this author's note gives away whether she dies or not and I don't want to spoil it for you. [Although if you continue I can't really stop you, now can I?] However, if Kaoru dying really bothers you, than I guess I have to tell you this: Kaoru does **not** die. So please don't flame me for that! She lives!)_

Kenshin stumbled. _Something's happened. He thought, glancing back in the direction of the dojo. _I can feel it. Kaoru-dono's in trouble._ Kenshin shook his head, mentally kicking himself. If he was going to stay away, he needed to completely detach himself from her. It would bring him nothing but pain if his thoughts kept straying back to her. __Besides, I'm sure I just imagined that. I'm probably just being paranoid. It's strange though... He thought sadly. __I miss her already. _

            Turning back around, he said softly, "Kaoru, I am _so sorry."_

            "Well, well. Just the man I wanted to see at this hour," came a voice. Kenshin looked up, startled. But it wasn't the fact that the speaker was Hajime Saitou that caused the shock, it was his location. Without realizing it, Kenshin had ended up at the docks, the very last place he wished to be at the moment.

            "They must pay police officers a lot of money," Kenshin commented suddenly, not bothering with a greeting.

            "What?" Saitou asked, removing his cigarette from his mouth. Although Kenshin hadn't noticed it, Shinta Wakamaru was lying paralyzed a few feet away from Saitou. He had forced the "stupid felon" to tell him the events that had taken place that night and if Saitou didn't know the Battousai any better, he would've sworn that Kenshin was traumatized.

            "I mean, every single time I see you, you always have a cigarette sticking out of your mouth. Either someone gave you a lifetime supply of tobacco, or you waste a lot of yen buying it. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't dropped dead of lung cancer. Your doctor should label you 'Walking Miracle'," Kenshin commented dryly. 

            Glaring fiercely at Kenshin so that it was visible in the late-night darkness, Saitou dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. Kenshin vaguely made out phrases such as, "moron", "weakling", and "product of the explosion of a nuclear power plant." He chuckled, although he had no idea what a nuclear power plant was. But Saitou's tone was sufficient enough to relay the message. (A/N: Okay, so I doubt they even HAD nuclear power plants back then but it sort of fit in the sentence, so I decided to leave it.)

            "Feeling particularly venomous today, aren't we Saitou?" Kenshin asked cheerfully.

            "Just because your girlfriend's got problems doesn't mean you should vent out your anger on me," Saitou replied coolly. Kenshin froze and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

            "What do you know, Saitou?" he asked, frowning.

            "Everything, Battousai," said Saitou. "And I got it all from a source that witnessed it first-hand." He indicated Shinta, who was lying unmoving on the ground. Kenshin glared at Shinta, the source of so much misery. _No, that's not right. I can't go blaming Mr. Wakamaru for that. He isn't the source._ He thought grimly. _I am._

            "But of course," Saitou continued conversationally, "I need at least one more source to confirm tonight's events. So let's hear it, Battousai."

            "I'd rather not," said Kenshin. He really needed to stop getting distracted from his departure. It was as if some divine force was trying to stop him from leaving.

            "Well then, Battousai. Will I have to blackmail you into giving me information?" Saitou asked. Realizing that his resistance was futile, Kenshin sighed, took a deep breath, and relayed the events that had taken place that night. Saitou noticed that Kenshin had forgotten to mention the part about Kaoru throwing up when Shinta found her and how he mainly attacked her because of his suspicions that she was wither really sick or pregnant. He decided not to mention it. One witty comment from his nemesis was enough for one day, thank you very much.

            "Told…you…" Shinta choked. "I…wouldn't lie…about someone…as great as…the Battousai…"

            "Shut up, you!" Saitou barked. Kenshin only looked at Shinta vehemently. "You know, Battousai," Saitou said evilly, "you _could_ kill him right now and I could make it seem like an accident… I'm sure you're itching for revenge."

            "No," Kenshin said flatly.

            "Come on…I would want him dead if it were me," Saitou coaxed.

            "Stop it, Saitou!" Kenshin snapped. "Killing him would be doing him a favor, and I'd rather swallow a burning coal than do that."

            "I didn't know you were so eager to commit suicide," Saitou answered smartly.

            With one last, dark look at Shinta, Kenshin turned away from him. "Besides, Saitou. I think a more fitting punishment would be to let him suffer some more."

            Saitou blinked several times, pondering whether he actually heard those words or if he simply imagined them.  He walked over to Kenshin to study him since it was a difficult task to do from afar in such pitch black darkness. _Damn weather. Saitou thought, staring up at the sky. _I can't see a thing and I'm wetter than Chicken Head was after our battle.__

            For Saitou, this had been one of his most stressful cases yet. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep for a week and his wife was complaining that he was starting to look thinner, having finally given up on his cigarette addiction. But when Saitou looked at him, he realized that the Battousai seemed to have been affected in a much greater way. There was a malevolent, even manic, look in his eyes. His eyes weren't amber though, and that made the situation all the more frightening. The fact that he could manage such an expression when not completely back to his former self was shocking.

            "You know, Battousai, you seem tense," Saitou noted. Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say to Kenshin.

            "Would you like to give me a massage then, Saitou?" Kenshin snapped.

            "No," said Saitou quickly, shuddering when he pictured that scenario, "Simply a bit of advice."

            Kenshin was awed. "Are you trying to help me?" he asked incredulously. _Well, I'm happy to see he's completely back to normal._ Saitou thought with disgust.

            "Yeah, you know. Manslayer to manslayer. Or even just man to man," said Saitou.

            "I'm listening."

            "Just don't worry about it. I had to go through the same thing with Tokio. Just…I don't know…give her some sort of support for nine months. I can't guarantee that it'll keep her happy the whole time…but it should for a while," Saitou said. Kenshin stared at him, a little shocked. _He and his wife went through something like this? I knew he was leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi, but does anyone besides me even know that nowadays? _Kenshin wondered. _And would anyone even _care_ enough to attack them?_

"Thanks, Saitou. That…erm…helps," Kenshin lied. In all honesty, he had no idea what Saitou was talking about. "But I've decided to leave instead. That way I won't cause anymore pain." Saitou narrowed his eyes suspiciously. _Is he toying with me, or is he really stupid enough to leave his pregnant…whatever she is to him… just like that?_

            "Man, you really are a moron," said Saitou, shaking his head with disgust. "You're positively _spineless_."

            Kenshin, who up until now had been inching away from Saitou to make a run for it when he was distracted, stopped. "Excuse me?"

            "What, you're language-challenged too? I'll spell it out for you: S-P-I-N-E-L-E-S-S," said Saitou.

            "Shut up," Kenshin retorted, wondering what the hell Saitou could've meant by that.

            "Just consider that compensation for your little tobacco comment earlier," said Saitou airily, almost as if he was conducting a business deal. "Damn, I need an umbrella. I'm soaked," Saitou added in a disgruntled fashion.

            Kenshin laughed. "Yes, the weather is horrible today, that it is." It was almost as if the heavens had been cut open, so relentless was the rain. _Although I have to admit...the day was gloomy enough without the rain._ Kenshin thought. Then suddenly, he was reminded about the part if the day that he had actually enjoyed: gambling with Sano earlier that day. He also remembered that he still had the money he won. _Wow…I'll have enough money to actually _buy_ myself some food. I feel a little guilty, though. Maybe I should've given the money to Sano before leaving._

            "Battousai…I'm still serious about that offer. Why don't you just kick him into the water? I could make it seem like he drowned swimming here," Saitou interrupted Kenshin's thoughts.

            "I've already refused, Saitou. Besides, you think someone will buy that story when there's a wound on his head that could've only been given to him by use of a reverse-blade sword?" Kenshin said skeptically. 

            "Oh, but that's assuming they find his body," said Saitou wickedly.

            "I'm not interested, Saitou. If you're so eager to have him killed, do it yourself," said Kenshin irritably.  

            "Fine, fine," said Saitou. He took out another cigarette and lit it.

            "Walking Miracle strikes again!" said Kenshin cheerfully.

            "Shut up, Battousai, and stop being so happy all the time. You're starting to resemble Soujirou Seta."

"Where. In. All. The. Hells. Can. Kenshin. Be?!" Sanosuke shouted, panting. 

            "Mommy, another visitor!" Sanosuke heard someone say. A high-pitched, girly voiced someone. 

            "Minako, you only had three hours of sleep! Get to bed right now and let me sleep!" her mother said, sounding thoroughly annoyed now. The anger was evident even though her voice was groggy. But Minako was already out of the inn, running toward Sanosuke.

            "Come on, mommy! It's five in the morning! Time to be up!" Minako shouted. And it was easy for her to say, considering she spent at least five hours every day napping once her energy finally gave out. She addressed Sanosuke and began to say, "Would you like to stay at our—" But she interrupted herself, her jaw hanging open slightly and looking awed.

            "What?" Sanosuke asked, looking around and completely unaware that the girl was looking at _him_.

            "You're cute!" Minako squealed and hugged Sanosuke's leg. "And tall, too! The guy who came here before was short."

            Sanosuke froze. "Guy? What guy?"

            "Some bum who didn't wanna stay at my inn," she replied dismissively, embracing Sanosuke's leg even harder. "But you will, right? You can even stay in my room, if you like!" If Sanosuke hadn't been so preoccupied with looking for Kenshin, he would've seriously been worried about the girl and what she meant by that.

            "No thanks…" he muttered. Minako let go of his leg, slightly downhearted. "What did this bum look like?"  
            "He had red hair and…was short," she said. Sanosuke knew that there was probably only one person in Japan with that hair color, but he needed to make sure.

            "Did he have a cross-shaped scar on his cheek?" Sanosuke asked. Minako looked puzzled.

            "What's a cross-shaped scar?" she asked.

            Sanosuke looked at her desperately. He didn't have time for this! Sighing, he said, "A scar is a cut, and a cross is…" He made an X with his two pointer fingers. "Did he have a cut that looked like that?"

            "Yeah…and he had a weird sword too! The sharp part was on the wrong side. If you ask me, he was kinda confused…" said Minako. The reverse-blade sword was the final clue Sanosuke needed.

            "Which way did he go?" Sanosuke asked hastily. Minako pointed ahead of them, and he would've dashed off at a run if she hadn't latched onto his leg again.

            "You're cute! I like you! Wanna marry me?" she asked him hopefully.

            "Maybe some other time," he replied, trying to pry her off his leg with little success.  "I really have to find someone."

            "The swordsman guy?" she asked, her iron grip loosening enough so that Sanosuke was able to free his leg.

            "Yeah, but I'll come back," he lied and sped off.

            He ran on until he reached the docks. It was a dead end, so Kenshin would have to be there.

            "Well, looks like Chicken Head has arrived," Saitou said genially.

            "Ha, ha. So funny," said Sanosuke. "Now where's Kenshin?"

            "You just missed the Battousai," Saitou said airily.

            "Damn it!" Sanosuke screamed, and punched the ground in frustration.

            "Moron!" Saitou barked. "What if the dock disintegrated?!"  
            "I didn't use the futae no kiwami, so there's no problem. Well, actually, there is. Kenshin has to get his sorry ass back to Kaoru!" Sanosuke said angrily.

            "He's just running away from the prospect of becoming a father," said Saitou, grinning. "Spineless moron."

            "Wait, what?" Sanosuke asked, glaring at the squinty-eyed police officer suspiciously. "How do you know about that?" _Could Kenshin have told him? Is it possible that Kenshin knew all along? Sanosuke wondered._

            "My good friend Shinta Wakamaru told me all the details, and the Battousai didn't seem too keen on talking about it so I didn't ask," said Saitou.

            "That's because he doesn't know," Sanosuke said darkly. Saitou raised an eyebrow.

            "You mean to tell me that the Battousai has decided to wander off away from his pregnant….Raccoon Girl…without even knowing that he was leaving her a souvenir of his visit?" Saitou asked incredulously. When Sanosuke nodded, he said, "Whoa. You should feel honored, Chicken Head. There are even bigger morons than you are."

            "Don't call me Chicken Head, Squinty!" Sanosuke spat.

            "Would you prefer Cock Head instead?" Saitou asked innocently. 

            "Shut up! This isn't a laughing matter, Saitou!"

            "On the contrary, I think this is hilarious," Saitou said. _Does he _enjoy_ watching people suffer? Sanosuke thought._

            "Just tell me where the hell Kenshin went!" Sanosuke demanded. Saitou grinned wider and pointed at the water.

            "See that speck over there?" he asked Sanosuke. Sanosuke squinted and saw a tiny ship in the distance, visible only because of the early morning sunlight.

            "The Battousai would be on that ship, sailing to Kami-sama knows where," commented Saitou. "So have a pleasant swim." Sanosuke glared at Saitou fiercely, but in truth he was crestfallen. He spent all night searching for Kenshin only to have him escape by a matter of minutes.

            "Glad you're enjoying this, Squinty," said Sanosuke, and expected Saitou to deny such a thing.

            Instead, Saitou said, "Well, it is funny. How often does the Battousai make a mistake this stupid? Wait…that would be everyday. But I would seriously love to see the look on his face when he finds out. Be sure to inform me."

            "That's if he ever _does_ find out," Sanosuke pointed out.

            "Oh trust me," Saitou said, smiling maliciously, "he will."

            Sanosuke ignored this statement from Saitou, too absorbed in his own thoughts. He turned around and, walking back, he made sure to step on Shinta Wakamaru's head before continuing. _Damn bastard!_ He thought angrily. He then heard Saitou chuckle. 

            "Do you always speak your thoughts out loud?" Saitou asked him.

            "No!" Sanosuke retorted, hoping to God that he didn't. He often had thoughts not exactly suitable for his companions. _But what I am supposed to tell Megumi? He wondered helplessly, the rain starting up again and beating down hard on his shoulders. _And more importantly, what'll happen to Kaoru?__

Megumi entered a room only to find that everything was drenched in blood. As an added bonus, the room was steadily filling up with the dark red liquid as if leaking from somewhere…or someone. The blood level was just under Megumi's chin and she was sure she was going to drown in it…and in the background, she could hear mirthless laughter…laughter that sounded familiar even with the cruelty added…Kenshin's laughter… 

            Megumi jolted awake from what was possibly the worst nightmare she ever had. (This was saying something, once you considered her line of work.) Megumi glanced around and found Yahiko asleep on the floor, snoring loudly. She realized sunlight was seeping into the room. Alarmed and fully awake now, she glanced at the clock. _Five o'clock_?! I was supposed to check on Kaoru hours ago!_ She jumped up and ran from the room, ignoring Yahiko's annoyed protests at being disrupted from what was a very peaceful sleep._

            "She couldn't be hurt!" Megumi told herself desperately, although memories of her dream seemed to tell her otherwise. "No! Kaoru is fine!"

            She ran into the room and spotted Kaoru. She backed away slowly, her hand over her mouth. The foreboding presence left by her dream had been confirmed. For there lay Kaoru in a puddle of her own blood, the knife used to create that puddle still clutched in her hand. 

JK: Sorry for the crappy update!

Evil Authoress: I didn't think it was crappy. Any story that ends with Kaoru lying in a puddle of her own blood isn't crappy at all.

JK: Well, that's your opinion.

Shishio: Is this moronic fanfic over yet?

(JK nods.)

Shishio: Good! As I was saying earlier…ladies gather round! I'll pay you five hundred dollars to spend some time with me!

JK: SHISHIO! THIS ISN'T THE PLEASURE QUARTER!

Evil Authoress: Are you insane, Bandage Dude? That's no where near enough money!

JK: Don't tell me you were considering taking him up on that offer!

Yumi: Don't bother. (sighs unhappily) It was pretty boring, if you ask me.

Shishio: Y-yumi!

Yumi: What did I say?

Evil Authoress: Come on, Shishio! Offer more money!

Shishio: Are you crazy? I'm not that desperate!  
JK: STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! YOU ARE NOT USING MY FANFIC TO PICK UP PEOPLE, SHISHIO!

Shishio: Why not? 

(JK picks up the same sword that she had threatened Evil Authoress with earlier.)

JK: Would you like to go to hell, Shishio?

Shishio: Hey, been there, done that, enjoyed it!

JK (while glaring at him menacingly): You sure about that? Because I could send you there again, since you seem to have enjoyed it so much…

(Shishio shuts up.)

JK: Authority is good!

Evil Authoress: And I was looking to make a few extra bucks and kill Shishio in the process, too. How disappointing!

JK: You can kill him anyway, if you like.

Evil Authoress: Really?

(JK nods and Evil Authoress smiles wickedly.)  
Evil Authoress (taking out flamethrower): Oh Shishio…would you like to have the remnants of the flames of hell burning inside you again?  
Shishio: Eek! No! I just finished getting off all my scabs! And it took me over ten years!

JK: Trust me, Shishio. You won't have that long to pick off your scabs this time…  
Shishio (while running from Evil Authoress): Just how long do I have?  
JK: I'd say about…a minute.

Shishio: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

JK: Please read and review! I'm hoping for as many reviews as I got last time, and if not just five. I'll update as soon as I can if people want me to! Ja ne!


	3. Fragility of Life

The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 3: Fragility of Life  
  
JK: Welcome to chapter three of "The Fires of Vengeance"! For our author's note today, joining us will be the RK gang and my fellow author Evil Authoress.  
  
Evil Authoress: Yeah, whatever.  
  
JK: Anyway, instead of my usual author's note when I do my best to lighten the mood---  
  
Sanosuke: Hold on. Exactly whose mood are you lightening?  
  
JK: The readers.  
  
Sanosuke: Oh. `Cause you know, I don't like your author's notes.  
  
Evil Authoress: Who asked you?  
  
Sanosuke (in JK's ear): Especially because of her. (points to Evil Authoress)  
  
Evil Authoress: Anata kuso!  
  
Sanosuke: Hey! Where'd you learn that kind of language, woman?!  
  
Evil Authoress: Shut up, *beep*.  
  
JK: I'll leave the readers guessing as to what *beep* means.  
  
Sanosuke: Damn wench...  
  
Evil Authoress: I'll say it again---ANATA KUSO!  
  
Kenshin: Um...correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't "anata kuso" mean "screw the chicken"?  
  
JK (while laughing hysterically and wiping tears out of her eyes): Who told you that?  
  
Kaoru: Well...then what exactly does it mean?  
  
JK: It means screw you, only more offensive. In other words, not exactly the proper words for a PG story, which is why she said it in Japanese.  
  
Evil Authoress: That's not why I said it...  
  
Yahiko: So, if this is a PG story does PG mean Puke Girl? It should since Kaoru's in it.  
  
(JK rolls her eyes while Evil Authoress snickers.)  
  
Evil Authoress: Guess you're not TOO stupid.  
  
Yahiko: Er...yay?  
  
JK: Anyway, I'm deciding to cut this author's note short and reply to my reviewers.  
  
To starhopper: Thanks for the really long review! I can't recall writing anything that was actually sad. A lot of times I can't help but put in a stupid joke. YAY! I'm not a crappy non-humor writer!  
  
To vegeta26: The fact that Kenshin keeps getting farther away is the whole point. But they will be reunited in later chapters.  
  
To boomerang-chan: I reviewed your story about how the Inuyasha gang got drunk off sake. It was good.  
  
To mime: I'm considering doing something along those lines...but I don't think I'd be able to make Kaoru paired with an OC. I like the Kenshin/Kaoru pairing since I'd rather have him be paired with Kaoru than, say, Megumi. (shudders)  
  
Megumi: I HEARD THAT!  
  
JK: Would you like me to PRETEND that I care?  
  
(Megumi sulks.)  
  
(JK grins happily.)  
  
Disclaimer: Well, what do you know? I'm up to the part of the story that gives me my inspiration. If you ever want to write angst, just do a disclaimer! Those are nice and depressing. So anyway, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I do, however, own this feeble plot.  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, that's it," Megumi told Yahiko, taking off her surgical mask. "I appreciate all your help, but you should go to bed now. Or if you want, you could go wait for Sanosuke and Kenshin." Yahiko looked at her for a moment. 'Does she think I'm stupid?' he wondered, thoroughly annoyed. And you really had to be stupid not to notice that Megumi's tone betrayed her true belief: that Sanosuke would be returning alone.  
  
"Megumi, I'm not dumb," he pointed out. "Kenshin's not coming back, is he?" At these words, complete silence stretched between them, broken only by the sounds of chirping birds outside. But to Yahiko, a reply was unnecessary. He knew the truth, but he wanted Megumi to admit it.  
  
Sighing, she said, " I don't think so." Once more they both fell silent, listening to the birds.  
  
"May's never been a good month, huh?" Yahiko observed.  
  
"Oh, that's right! It's May. I forgot about that," Megumi said. The birds became audible again, and Megumi wondered why speech was proving to be so difficult.  
  
"Will Kaoru live?" Yahiko ventured. Megumi glanced at Kaoru's sleeping body, as if suddenly remembering she was there.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What about her baby?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"Since you just told me you're not stupid, you be the judge," Megumi said angrily. "KAORU is lucky to be alive. When she stabbed herself, she missed all her organs and didn't penetrate too deeply, but she did bleed a lot out of her stomach. It would be a miracle if that child survived."  
  
"So you're saying it's dead," Yahiko said hollowly.  
  
"Yes," Megumi replied curtly. "Now let's go before our talk disturbs her rest." She ushered Yahiko out of the room, following close behind him.  
  
Little did she know that Kaoru had been lying awake, listening to their conversation the whole time. As soon as she was sure Megumi and Yahiko were no where near, she crawled away from her futon and retched again, but this time she knew it wasn't from pregnancy but from guilt. Black, choking, heart-wrenching guilt.  
  
But when her nausea subsided and Kaoru found herself thinking rationally, she discovered she would much rather be throwing up. That, at least, kept her mind off what she had done. 'I'm an idiot!' she thought fiercely, lying back down. 'How could I have even dreamed of doing that?! So what if Kenshin's gone? I'm not so weak and fragile that I couldn't even be able to raise a child by myself! And if I am, I might as well go find that knife and stick it into my heart this time.' Kaoru glanced at her stomach. It was bandaged, and he area where she'd stabbed herself was already starting to become tinged with blood. Her vision blurred and Kaoru blinked away her tears of fury.  
  
"How could I have been so selfish?" she asked. "How could I kill myself? How could I kill my child?" For what seemed like the hundredth time since her kidnapping, Kaoru allowed herself to give way to her tears.  
  
"Awake, are you?"  
  
Kaoru opened her eyes to find Megumi watching her cynically.  
  
"Well, rather than putting off the inevitable, I suppose I should just tell you. Your baby's dead," Megumi said simply. Her voice was devoid of any pity. In fact, there was a definite touch of disgust in her speech.  
  
"I know. I heard you talking to Yahiko," Kaoru replied, disgusted as well although it wasn't as pronounced as Megumi's.  
  
Megumi looked up at Kaoru, surprised. 'She doesn't even care!' Megumi thought. She felt a strong urge to slap Kaoru, and it took all her will to restrain herself.  
  
"Megumi," Kaoru began quietly, "if you knew that my baby couldn't be saved, you should've just let me die. I don't want to live with a burden like this on my shoulders." She was staring anywhere else but at Megumi up until this point, but her curiosity at what Megumi's reaction would be drove Kaoru to look up at her. Megumi was staring at her, more unpitying and disgusted than she was before.  
  
"You're disgusting!" she shouted. "After all that you've done, you go and tell me that I should've let you die?! Like it was my fault or something! You are the most ungrateful wench I've ever known!" Megumi's self-control wavered and she slapped Kaoru. Kaoru didn't even wince when Megumi's hand made contact, nor did she shrink back. 'Physical pain like this is nothing compared to my torn up emotions,' Kaoru thought grimly.  
  
"I guess I deserved that," Kaoru remarked, obviously shocking Megumi.  
  
Looking horrified at what she had done, Megumi hastily said, "Listen, I'm sorry. But you shouldn't have done that. Even without Kenshin, your life isn't meaningless and you're not alone. You should've known that we would help you raise your child. Me, Yahiko, and Sanosuke would've been more than happy too. I just wish you hadn't behaved so impulsively. At least then your child would still be alive and you wouldn't have a hole in your stomach. It's going to take a while to heal, but you should be up in about two weeks, three weeks tops." Megumi rose. "I'll leave you alone now since I'm sure you need time to think. But you will eventually have to clean up that mess." She indicated the vomit a few feet away from Kaoru's futon and started to exit the room, but Kaoru's voice stopped her.  
  
"I can try living with hating myself, but do you hate me?"  
  
Megumi stopped, not turning around to face her. "No," she said before continuing on her way. Before she was out of Kaoru's room, she stopped again. "Life is a very fragile thing, Kaoru. You broke your child's." With that, she exited.  
  
* * *  
  
"You're kidding!" Sanosuke said in disbelief, wolfing down a bowl of rice. "That's not a funny joke, Yahiko."  
  
"That's because it isn't," Yahiko replied.  
  
"No way! Kaoru's not that stupid!" Sanosuke assured Yahiko. He then glanced around the room. "Got anymore? I'm STARVING."  
  
"That's all that's left form dinner last night. And she WAS that stupid, and she DID try to kill herself," said Yahiko.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Sanosuke asked skeptically. "How?"  
  
"She stabbed herself. With this," he said darkly, pointing to the knife in Sanosuke's hand as he rummaged around for food.  
  
"THIS?" Sanosuke inquired, indicating the knife. When Yahiko nodded, Sanosuke dropped the knife to the floor and screamed, "I cut my food with that!"  
  
Under normal circumstances, Yahiko would've laughed, but the mood was too somber. "Well, not that particular knife but she did use a kitchen knife."  
  
"You're not kidding, are you?" Sanosuke asked, sitting back down since his search for food was in vain.  
  
"No," Yahiko replied.  
  
Sanosuke bombarded Yahiko with questions. "Is she okay? Will she live? Should I kill Kenshin? How about Saitou? Or should I kill Shinta? Maybe I can go make him suffer some more?" He looked hopeful, almost as I he wanted Yahiko to say "yes" to each question.  
  
"She'll live, but I don't know if she'll be completely okay. As for Kenshin, in the unlikely event that you ever find him, it would be best for you to bring him back here. Who gives a crap about Shinta, anyway? The police can deal with him." Yahiko paused for a moment. "What's Saitou got to do with anything?"  
  
"Oh, never mind. But what about..." Sanosuke began.  
  
"Kaoru's baby? Dead," Yahiko replied, guessing correctly what Sanosuke meant to ask.  
  
"Damn..." Sanosuke murmured. "You know whose fault this is, don't you?"  
  
"You're going to say Kenshin, right?" Yahiko guessed.  
  
"No! It's all Saitou's fault!" Sanosuke said. Yahiko rolled his eyes. "I'm serious!" Sanosuke insisted. "If that jackass police officer actually did his freaking job right, this wouldn't have happened!"  
  
"Maybe you should criticize him once you actually get a job," Yahiko suggested. In the mood for a change of topic, he added, "By the way, I asked Megumi where babies come from."  
  
Sanosuke snickered. "And...?"  
  
"She said it's like a quill and an ink pot." The two bonding males laughed, scorning Megumi's comparison.  
  
"Women are SO clueless," Sanosuke said when they stopped.  
  
"Yeah. I liked your explanation about sheathing a sword much better," said Yahiko. (A/N: Just so I don't get killed, the first time I've ever seen this comparison was in a story called "Lessons" by Sekihara Tae. But it's sort of the only comparison you could make in a story revolving around swordsmanship, so I'm sure many people have come up with it since then and even before that. Evil Authoress: I could've come up with something like that. JK: Yeah, whatever. So don't sue me!)  
  
"But remember, NEVER get confused between who's the sword and who's the sheath," Sanosuke warned. He then received a very sharp blow to the head.  
  
Yahiko and Sanosuke turned to see Megumi standing behind them, livid with rage.  
  
"I'm guessing you heard that," Sanosuke said weakly.  
  
"No shit," Yahiko commented. He shut up when he saw Megumi glaring at him.  
  
"Glad you're enjoying yourselves," she said angrily. "While Kaoru's lying injured, you're talking about the birds and the bees!" She rummaged around, looking for something. "Where's the rice?"  
  
"Er...what rice?" Sanosuke asked, gulping fearfully.  
  
Megumi rounded on him and shouted, "The rice left over from yesterday's dinner you son of a---"  
  
Sanosuke blinked. "You're not in a good mood, are you?"  
  
"No, so don't try my patience!"  
  
"Okay, I won't. I ate the rice," he said. Megumi glared at him for a moment and Sanosuke was worried she was going to kill him. Instead, she swore and sat down.  
  
"Carry on," she said. "Pretend I'm not here."  
  
"Okay," said Sanosuke. 'Oh, she's asking for it,' he thought. "Any other questions, Yahiko?"  
  
"Nah, I'm just curious as to who explained it to you."  
  
"No one. I just---" Megumi shot him a warning look. "---picked it up."  
  
"Oh, I get it," said Yahiko knowingly. "How about you, Megumi?"  
  
"I'm not here," she said.  
  
"Who's going to explain it to your children?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"Megumi's husband should probably explain it to their children. Or maybe I should do the honors. He'll probably be clueless, too," Sanosuke said, yawning. Megumi hit him again.  
  
"No, I meant the children you two will have TOGETHER," Yahiko explained.  
  
"No one, because such children won't exist!" Megumi snapped.  
  
"What she said," Sanosuke agreed. "It's a good thing I stopped by or I wouldn't have caught her this pissed," he added.  
  
"Shut up!" Megumi hit him again.  
  
"Are you trying to give me brain damage, woman?!" he snapped.  
  
"It wouldn't hurt!"  
  
"You, you mean!"  
  
"I'll be going now," said Yahiko timidly.  
  
"YOU KEEP OUT OF THIS!" the both barked and went back to bickering. Yahiko left the room, wondering what havoc he was wreaking by doing so.  
  
* * *  
  
It took over a month for Kaoru to get out of bed and go back to her normal way of life, meaning that she only got out of bed towards the end of June. Partially it was because she couldn't stand seeing so many cheerful, smiling faces when all she felt was a cold emptiness, an emptiness that threatened to choke her like some violent tidal wave. The main reason, however, was because of the fact that she had a physical illness as well. She was still throwing up every morning. At first she thought it was from guilt or because she was sick with herself, but she soon began to wonder exactly how long that type of nausea could last and whether or not it really was from guilt.  
  
"You're looking chubby," Yahiko observed when he saw her on the day she finally came outside. "You really shouldn't have stayed in bed for a month."  
  
Kaoru sighed, knowing that was his way of greeting her. "Thanks, Yahiko. That helps."  
  
"What are you so happy about?" Sanosuke asked grudgingly, dragging out a bucket of laundry.  
  
"Nothing," Kaoru said quickly. 'I'm not sure, so I shouldn't bring it up until I've checked with Megumi,' she thought.  
  
"Since you're so happy, here," said Sanosuke, handing her the bucket. "Do some chores for a change." Kaoru stared at the bucket wistfully. 'Maybe if I leave the laundry undone it'll lure him back here,' she thought, smiling sadly. 'Yeah, and maybe Yahiko won't be arrogant. THAT'S a day I'll wait for.'  
  
"No, Kaoru, you're definitely happy about something. Come on, spit it out," Sanosuke ordered.  
  
"Never mind," Kaoru said airily, lifting another bucket. "I'll be back in a few minutes; I just have to go get some water for the laundry. If you see Megumi, tell her I need to speak to her." And with that, she walked off.  
  
"Yep, there is DEFINITELY something she's not telling us," Sanosuke noted. "Anything else to do or can I go live my life?"  
  
"Someone has to cook dinner," Yahiko replied, pausing in his sweeping. "Then someone has to do the dishes."  
  
"Megumi cooks, you do the dishes," said Sanosuke. "And I need to go win myself some money."  
  
"Sure, I'll do the dishes but if you end up eating from a moldy bowl that won't be my fault," Yahiko answered innocently, and resumed his sweeping. He had learned not to complain about the chores he had to do for he knew that Kaoru was struggling with a lot more than he was. Besides, Megumi was sure to smack anyone who didn't do his share of the work.  
  
"You're not going anywhere, Sano!" someone shrieked.  
  
"Megumi's back," Yahiko commented.  
  
"Don't worry, Yahiko. When someone has a voice that can cause earthquakes, I'm bound to notice them," said Sanosuke.  
  
Megumi didn't hear him (fortunately for Sano) because she was busy looking around. "Where's the bucket for the water? You DO know that it's your turn to do the laundry, don't you?" she asked Sanosuke.  
  
"Yeah, but a certain someone stopped moping around the house for the first time in over a month so I figured I should give her something to do," said Sanosuke.  
  
Megumi raised her eyebrows. "What brought about the sudden change in her?"  
  
"Beats me. But she has to talk to you," Sanosuke informed her.  
  
"Hey, since Kaoru's better, can we get a beef pot at the Akabeko to celebrate?" Yahiko asked hopefully.  
  
"I can't. I have a very busy day today. Examinations, operations, births, the usual." She sighed. "What did Kaoru want to talk to me about?"  
  
"We don't know, but she was really happy about something," said Yahiko. "Can I stop sweeping yet?" He held out his broom to Megumi, but she waved it away absentmindedly.  
  
"Did she mention why she was so happy?" Megumi asked.  
  
"Nope," the replied in unison.  
  
"Well, when she gets back tell her to go to Dr. Gensai's house. I'll be there. Sanosuke, I'm afraid you're going to have to cook today. I'm way too busy."  
  
"Hey, what about Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked angrily. "She should cook!"  
  
Megumi raised her eyebrows again. "You want to get poisoned?"  
  
"Good point."  
  
* * *  
  
"Er...Megumi?" Kaoru asked timidly, entering the examination room.  
  
"Now all you have to do is hold it like that. No, just put pressure on it...that's it," Megumi said. She was tending to someone with blood gushing out of his nose. "Now, Daisuke, how exactly did this happen?" She motioned for Kaoru to sit down while she interrogated him.  
  
"Fight," her patient replied simply.  
  
"I see."  
  
"If this isn't a good time, I could always talk to you later," Kaoru said, getting up.  
  
"Wait Kaoru. If you're happy enough to get out of bed for the first time in over a month, I'm interested in what brought about the change," said Megumi. Kaoru sighed. 'She's still mad at me for what happened. I don't need this from her when I'm having trouble forgiving myself. Maybe this will make her forgive me,' thought Kaoru. She sat back down.  
  
"Well, you know how I kept throwing up when I was pregnant?" Kaoru asked timidly.  
  
"One second." Megumi glared fiercely at the boy she was treating since Daisuke had perked up and was listening intently. "Out," she ordered. "You were fine to begin with."  
  
"You sure? Maybe the jerk broke my nose," Daisuke said, sounding almost hopeful.  
  
"No, your nose is intact but if you want to keep it that way I suggest you leave," Megumi said coldly.  
  
"Oh, fine." He stood up and retreated out of the room.  
  
"Stupid kid," Kaoru heard Megumi mutter. "So, what were you saying?"  
  
"I've still been feeling sick every morning. And I throw up occasionally. At first I thought it was from guilt, but..." Kaoru's voice trailed off. "Just how long can guilt like that last?"  
  
"Well, after what you did you may never get over your guilt," said Megumi.  
  
Kaoru was absolutely silent.  
  
"So you were sick and you didn't tell me?" Megumi asked.  
  
"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Kaoru answered. "Besides, as I just told you, I thought it was from guilt."  
  
"And you're still throwing up? To this day?" Megumi inquired.  
  
"Well, no, but it only stopped a short while ago," said Kaoru. When Megumi was silent, she pressed, "Well? What can it mean?"  
  
"Well, it may very well mean that you're still pregnant and your baby somehow survived that," she said. "But we'll just have to wait and find out."  
  
"So if I still am...my baby's due in..."  
  
"February," Megumi finished for her.  
  
~March 1880~  
  
Yahiko paced up and down the hallway outside Kaoru's room, looking very nervous. He would occasionally stop to glance at the room for a while before continuing. Sanosuke, who was outside her room along with him, was the complete opposite. He was the picture of calm. He just sat in front of the door, repeatedly throwing a die up into the air and catching it in his right hand.  
  
"You know," Sanosuke commented, "the way you're acting, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the father." Yahiko immediately stopped pacing.  
  
"Not funny, Sano! I was just worried about Kaoru. I mean, having a baby can't be easy," said Yahiko. "Is it?"  
  
"I'll tell you if I ever get pregnant," Sanosuke answered cynically. "But I haven't been pregnant yet, so don't ask."  
  
"Well, how was I supposed to know that?"  
  
"Yahiko!" Yahiko snickered. But he also knew that his victory was short-lived, for there was no way Sanosuke would let Yahiko get the better of him for long.  
  
"I see. Yahiko, all this time you've been acting like a little tough guy. But the truth is, we've got a big softy on our hands," he said.  
  
"Shut up!" Yahiko shouted. "Of course I'm worried! I haven't finished my training yet! If Kaoru died, who would teach me swordsmanship?"  
  
"Megumi," Sanosuke suggested. "Or she'll teach you something more violent."  
  
After he was finished laughing, Yahiko asked, "How can you stay so calm, Sano? Aren't you at least worried about Kaoru?"  
  
"Sanosuke suddenly looked very serious. A thin line replaced his smiled and he stopped tossing the die. "I'm more than worried, Yahiko. Even I know that there are bound to be complications after all Kaoru's been through. As for the baby, it wouldn't shock me if it was still-born."  
  
"I hope it's not," said Yahiko, pretending that he actually knew what it meant to be still-born. Sanosuke raised his eyebrows.  
  
"You really are a big softy."  
  
"I also hope it's a boy," he added.  
  
"What a surprise."  
  
"I mean it! I could teach him the ropes and stuff. Plus, I could tell him the sword-and-sheath story."  
  
Sighing, Sanosuke asked, "You really like that story, don't you?"  
  
"Hey, I just thought of something. Wasn't Kaoru's baby due in February?" Yahiko asked, choosing to disregard Sanosuke's question. Sanosuke, however, was unable to answer because at that precise moment, a scream pierced the nighttime silence followed closely by a high-pitched cry.  
  
"If you ask me, that baby sounds very much alive," Sanosuke muttered.  
  
"Too true," Yahiko agreed.  
  
A few minutes later (during which Sanosuke and Yahiko both sat staring at the screen and practically chewing on their nails), Megumi brought out something small wrapped in a blanket.  
  
"It's a girl," she told Yahiko and Sanosuke. Sanosuke looked at Yahiko, half-expecting him to look annoyed, but instead Yahiko was eyeing the bundle with interest.  
  
"Megumi...would it be okay if I held her?" he asked.  
  
"By all means," she said, giving him the bundle.  
  
"How's Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked while Yahiko stared at the child in his arms.  
  
"Surprisingly enough, the whole birth went quite well. It took a while, but both Kaoru and the baby are perfectly fine," said Megumi.  
  
"It took a while? Thirty hours is what you call a while? I call that a hell of a long time!" Sanosuke exclaimed.  
  
"Anyway, Kaoru's pretending to sleep, but I heard her sniffling so I think she's crying and wants to be left alone. Yahiko, don't do that!" Megumi added once she saw that Yahiko was poking the girl.  
  
"Sorry," he said quickly.  
  
"Anyway...what's today's date?" Sanosuke asked.  
  
"March 12. And she was born at 3:50," Megumi answered.  
  
"I don't get why Kaoru screamed, though," said Sanosuke thoughtfully. "I mean, just how bad can it hurt?"  
  
"Well, if you have that kind of attitude then my advice to you would be to never get pregnant. You'd probably die from the pain," Megumi told him airily.  
  
"Why's everyone picking on me today?" Sanosuke asked. "I CAN'T get pregnant, so stop saying that I can!"  
  
"I was joking," said Megumi.  
  
"I know. But still! It's not a funny joke! I'm all man!"  
  
"Okay, okay," Megumi and Yahiko said in unison just to get him to shut up.  
  
"I wonder what Kaoru's going to call her..." said Yahiko thoughtfully. "Can someone take her from me? I think she's going to cough something up."  
  
"She can't cough up yet, Yahiko. It's not like she's eaten anything," said Sanosuke, but took her from him anyway.  
  
"Maybe we should come up with a few ideas for a name," Megumi suggested.  
  
"Sayo," Sanosuke said immediately.  
  
"That was quick," said Megumi. "A little too quick."  
  
"Well...I...---"  
  
"Hey, Sano, maybe we should name her after one of MEGUMI'S lovers, not yours," Yahiko interrupted.  
  
"Megumi's lovers? What lovers?" asked Sanosuke.  
  
"Shut up!" Megumi screeched. "Why would we name her Sayo? I mean, she looks nothing like her, right?"  
  
"She looks a lot like Kenshin, you know," Sanosuke noted. "Especially the eyes." He looked down at her and she stared back at him with unblinking, lavender eyes exactly like those of her father. "She's actually pretty cute."  
  
"That's great! If she looked like Kaoru, she'd be one hell of an ugly child," joked Yahiko. When he realized no one was reprimanding him, he asked, "What's wrong?"  
  
"The fact that she looks like Kenshin is NOT a good thing. Every time Kaoru will look at her, she'll be reminded of him. She will always be a painful reminder of an even more painful memory," said Megumi quietly. "In any case, it's a miracle that she's even alive."  
  
"Megumi's right," Sanosuke admitted.  
  
"Well, she sort of looks like Kaoru too. Maybe she'll grow out of looking like Kenshin," said Yahiko.  
  
"I doubt that," said Megumi. "A part of her will always be like him."  
  
"That's okay, Megumi. I'll learn to deal with it."  
  
Kaoru had gone out of her room without any of them noticing and was now holding out her arms to accept her child.  
  
"Kaoru!" Megumi chided. "You should be resting!"  
  
"I'm not insane, Megumi. I know how to take care of myself, so you don't need to tell me what to do. I'll be fine," said Kaoru airily. "Can I have my daughter back, Sano?" Sanosuke nodded and gave her to Kaoru. 'She does look like Kenshin,' Kaoru observed. 'But that's okay. I'm sure she won't leave me and probably never come back like he has.' She kissed her forehead. "I know you won't," she whispered.  
  
"Kaoru, after thirty hours of that you need some rest," Megumi said. "And that's not a suggestion, it's an order."  
  
"Fine," Kaoru gave in and led the way inside her room.  
  
"So, Kaoru, what are you going to name her?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"How about Sayo? Sayo's a great name," Sanosuke suggested. Megumi sighed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well...I've been thinking about it for a while...and I decided that if the baby was a girl I would name her Reiko," said Kaoru.  
  
"Why Reiko?" Sanosuke asked, sounding the tiniest bit crestfallen.  
  
"That was the name of a very good friend of mine who died when we were ten," Kaoru said quickly, hoping that they wouldn't question her anymore about her friend. Kaoru had seen her friend die. In fact, she held her hand. She didn't think she'd ever forget the feeling of her best friend's hand growing colder and weaker in her grasp while its owner's soul slowly slipped into oblivion. She shook the image of her sitting by her best friend's bedside and crying hysterically from her mind.  
  
"You never told us about her," said Sanosuke.  
  
"I don't like to think about it." She was about to add that she didn't like talking about it either, but Yahiko interrupted.  
  
"What did she die from?"  
  
"Cholera," Kaoru replied, her voice completely numb.  
  
"Let's switch to a more cheerful topic, shall we?" Megumi suggested lightly. Kaoru looked at her gratefully. She was really beginning to appreciate everything Megumi had done for her. "Her name will be Reiko what?"  
  
"Kamiya, of course," said Kaoru instantly.  
  
"Reiko Kamiya," Sanosuke said as if testing how the name sounded. "Pretty good."  
  
"Yup, that it is," said Yahiko cheerfully. Megumi, Kaoru, and even Sanosuke glanced at him so sharply that he was immediately sorry he had ever opened his mouth. "Sorry!" he said meaningfully.  
  
"Well, I'm tired and it's late, so why don't we all get to bed?" Kaoru proposed.  
  
"Sure," they all replied.  
  
Once they were gone, Kaoru laid down and looked out the window, holding Reiko close to her. "I don't need you, Battousai," she said quietly, purposefully using the name Kenshin's enemies always called him. "And apparently, you don't need me either."  
  
* * *  
  
Well, that's it for chapter 3. I'm trying as hard as I can to get the chapters up quickly! Please review! 


	4. Gambling With Sano

The Fires of Vengeance: Chapter 4: Gambling With Sano  
  
Well, I'm back with a new chapter. I'm skipping the long author's note for this chapter since they seem pretty much pointless, so I'll go straight to the disclaimer.  
  
Disclaimer: For the fourth time in this fic, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin and anything associated with it. This idea, however, is solely my property and I also own Reiko. YAY! I'm not possessionless! (Is that even a word?)  
  
~Six years later~  
  
"Reiko, get up! Sano's taking you to school!" came Kaoru's voice. Reiko groggily turned away from her, pulling the covers over her head. "Now, Reiko. You don't want to miss your first day." Kaoru's voice was kind, but stern.  
  
"But what's the point, mommy?" Reiko asked, finally giving in. "I already know how to cook, clean, sew, and make babies. I also know how to do laundry, and I even like to. What's the point of school?"  
  
"I'm well aware that you would be the perfect housewife if I were to have you married right now, but in school you'll also learn how to read and write. Do you know how to do that, then, my perfect child?" Kaoru questioned.  
  
"Of course I do! Sano taught me how to read and write!" Reiko retorted. Kaoru eyed her daughter suspiciously.  
  
"Just what exactly did Sano teach you to write?" she asked.  
  
"Bad!"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"He taught me how to write and read the word 'bad'," said Reiko.  
  
"Mm hmm, and just what else did Sano teach you? What's this about making babies?" Kaoru asked, praying that the answer she would get would not be the one she was expecting. 'And if it is,' she thought, 'I'll kill Sanosuke.'  
  
"You know, how to feed them, clean up their poop, and diaper them. Also that they come from cabbage patches," Reiko replied airily. "So I don't have to go to school," she added hopefully.  
  
"Yes you do," Kaoru informed her. "That's not all there is to life, Reiko-chan."  
  
"Mommy! They'll make me sing! They always make girls sing at school!" Reiko whined. "And you know I can't sing...why can't I just stay with you? Yahiko never goes to school!"  
  
"That doesn't matter. I still want you to go to school. And later you'll thank me for it," Kaoru said.  
  
"I hate it when you say that," Reiko mumbled.  
  
Sanosuke stuck his head into the room. "Are you ready yet?"  
  
"You're taking me to school, Sano?" Reiko asked.  
  
"I told you he was," Kaoru said to Reiko.  
"Well...I must not have heard you." She got out of bed and ran over to Sanosuke, hugging his leg tightly. "Yay! Uncle Sano's taking me to school!"  
  
"Yeah, but I've got lots of things to do today so you better hurry up or I'll drag you there by your ankles," Sanosuke warned. Kaoru rolled her eyes and Reiko shouted, "No you won't! I'll bash you on the head with my bokuto first!"  
  
"I'd like to see you try, Jou-chan," Sanosuke said.  
  
"Fine! I will!" She jumped up and ran over to the part of her room where she kept her wooden sword. Picking it up, she wondered, 'Why can't I just stay home and learn swordsmanship? Then I wouldn't have to bash Sano on the head. I could actually use the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu.' (A/N: I'm not sure if I said it before or not, but ryuu means "style.") She sighed heavily.  
  
"What happened, Reiko? You changed your mind?" Sanosuke asked. She sighed again.  
  
"I don't feel right about bashing you on the head. I'm sure that's not a part of the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu, and I don't want to act like a baby anyway," she replied, studying her sword. It was her most prized possession, yet she had never actually used it. It looked brand new.  
  
"Okay, Reiko. We'll make a deal. If you go to school, then I'll teach you the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu when you have free time. Okay?" Kaoru offered. Reiko suddenly brightened.  
  
"Okay!"  
"Good, Reiko. Now, Sanosuke, you go get your meal that I know you'll never pay me back for, and Reiko, you get dressed," Kaoru ordered. Sanosuke didn't bother replying, but the words "It's too early in the morning for this," were decipherable as he left the room. Reiko, however, wasn't as easy to command.  
  
"You're not lying, are you?" she asked Kaoru. "You WILL teach me the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu?"  
  
"Have I ever lied to you?"  
  
"Probably," said Reiko, smiling. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am, now am I?"  
  
Kaoru smiled back. "Yes you are. You're being suspicious for no reason."  
  
"No I'm not!" Reiko cried, insulted.  
  
"Just get dressed. I'm actually going to let you wear whatever you like, so make it quick and don't spend an hour deciding," Kaoru told her. "Call me when you're done so I can brush your hair."  
  
"I can brush my own hair, thank you very much!" said Reiko indignantly. Smiling, Kaoru tousled her daughter's hair.  
  
"Just don't give the teachers this much of a hard time," she told her. "And besides, you know your hair is impossible to manage."  
  
"Oh fine," Reiko said as she heard her mother close the door behind her. 'It was kind of stupid for her to tell me not to take a long time. It's not like I have that many clothes to choose from.' She thought. After she stared at every kimono she owned, Reiko finally chose a lavender one with a navy obi. Looking in the mirror, she realized it went nicely with her eye color. Now if she could only do something to make her thick, puffy black hair stay down...  
  
Sighing and realizing that her mother had a point when it came to her hair, Reiko called, "Mommy! I finished!"  
  
"Not bad..." Kaoru noted when she saw her. "Although your obi's not tied too well."  
  
"These things are hard to tie, mommy!" Reiko complained. "You've got to be really good at weaving or something!"  
  
"It's okay. You actually tied it better than I did when I was your age. So go stand in front of the mirror so I can fix your hair," Kaoru said, laughing. Reiko did as she was bid, although with much complaint, and Kaoru tried taming Reiko's hair. 'She's so much like him. She looks like him, acts like him, heck, she almost is him. Even if she does have my hair color, it's exactly like Kenshin's. I'm surprised she doesn't ask me to tie it in a low ponytail like his.' Kaoru thought with a bemused smile on her face. 'Thank god she's never asked about him.I don't know what I'd say.'  
  
Noticing the brush had been stationary for quite a while, Reiko asked in a concerned voice, "Mommy, are you okay?"  
  
Shaking her head, Kaoru replied, "Yeah, I'm fine." She resumed brushing her hair. 'I have to stop thinking about him. It only brings me pain. Besides, I haven't heard from Kenshin in years. He probably doesn't think about me at all.' She finished and tied Reiko's hair with her own indigo ribbon. 'It should be hers. It has Kenshin's blood on it, after all, even if it's not visible. And Kenshin's blood is basically hers.' (A/N: Does anyone know what ribbon I'm talking about? It was the one Kaoru gave to Kenshin right before she was kidnapped by Udou Jinei, or however the hell you spell the guy's name. When he gave it back to her, it was stained with blood. Someone MUST know what I'm talking about!)  
  
Reiko was no stranger to the fact that she would normally not be allowed to touch her mother's favorite ribbon, let alone wear it. "Mommy, are you sure I can wear your ribbon?" she asked cautiously to prevent being blamed for it later on. For some reason, she pictured her mother chasing her around and screaming at her in the event that something happened to it.  
  
"Of course it's okay. It's yours now, Reiko. Now off to school."  
  
"But mommy," Reiko whined, "my hair is still puffy! Can't you make it stay down?"  
  
"Reiko, you know I've tried. It's not my fault your hair does that," Kaoru said.  
  
"Then whose fault is it?" Reiko asked. When Kaoru was silent, she said, "See, it is your fault!"  
  
"Are you done yet? I have stuff to do!" Sanosuke said, poking his head into the room again.  
  
Relief swept through Kaoru as she said, "Off to school, Reiko."  
  
* * *  
  
"All right class," Reiko's teacher said loudly. "We're going to have our first lesson."  
  
"Oh, please, Inoue-sensei," a boy named Masashi called loudly. "Like we really need to learn how to write our name. Everyone should know that by the time they're two. If they don't know when they go to school then they're stupid." His declaration would've normally made Reiko get very upset, but she wasn't paying attention to anything going on inside the classroom. In fact, she hadn't heard a single word the teacher had said since she entered it. Reiko just stared longingly out the window, wondering when it would be time for her to go home.  
  
"Fine then," Mrs. Inoue said. "If you're all as smart as...what's your name?"  
  
"Masashi Ikeda," he told her lazily.  
  
"Well, if you're all as smart as him then you can write your name on your own. Anyone who's never learned how, I'll be walking around and helping you." Reiko didn't hear any of this, either. She put her head down on her crossed arms and continued staring out the window.  
  
Eventually, though, Mrs. Inoue came up to her. "Well? Why is your paper blank?" she demanded.  
  
For the first time upon entering the room, Reiko acknowledged her teacher's existence. "Oro?" she asked.  
  
"Your paper. It's blank. When I asked who didn't know how to write their name, you didn't say anything. Do you?" Mrs. Inoue asked her.  
  
Reiko, only half-listening to her teacher's question, picked up her paper and scribbled the character for "bad" on it. "Happy?" she asked.  
  
Mrs. Inoue stared at her, a mix of puzzlement, astonishment, and amusement on her face. "What's your name, child?" she asked Reiko.  
  
"Reiko Kamiya," Reiko replied, finally giving her teacher her full and undivided attention. "Why?"  
  
"Well, here you have written the kanji for 'bad'," she told Reiko.  
  
"So?"  
  
"We were writing our names, Kamiya," Mrs. Inoue replied coldly. "Your name is not 'bad', is it?"  
  
"Whoops," said Reiko carelessly.  
  
"What an idiot," Masashi remarked, not bothering to keep his voice down.  
  
"What did you say?" Reiko asked him, glaring as hard as she could.  
  
"Well, you're an idiot. And a girl. In other words, you're absolutely worthless in this world," he said. Reiko jumped up.  
  
"Baka!" she screamed at him. "Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? You're not my mom!"  
  
"I'm well aware of that," he said calmly. Reiko opened her mouth to say something, but when no genius comeback came to her she shut it.  
  
"Ikeda, how old are you?" the teacher asked.  
  
"Ten," Masashi replied, not taking his eyes off Reiko.  
  
"Well, that explains it. No wonder you could write your name when no one else in the class could. And no wonder you use words like that, too," Mrs. Inoue said.  
  
"So that's it?" Reiko asked her. "You're not going to tell him off? It's okay that he just said that?" The teacher shrugged. Reiko felt her eyes brimming with tears, but she held them back. There was no way she would give in and cry, not for these two morons.  
  
"Maybe I'll stand up for you when you show some more respect and pay attention," Mrs. Inoue told her, not bothering to disguise the indifference in her voice.  
  
The rest of the day passed by no better. Masashi never missed a chance to shoot Reiko a smug look from across the room or to make some snide remark when the teacher was no where near. Reiko could do nothing but turn away. She'd never been a strong person. Whenever she was feeling down, she always found refuge in her room with the doors shut and her tears free. But now, she couldn't run off home. She had to bear everything until the moment she was released from this prison. The one thing that kept her going for the rest of the day was the prospect of lessons in swordsmanship when she got home.  
  
"How was school?" Sanosuke asked her when that moment finally arrived. "Was it as bad as you thought it'd be?"  
  
"I'll put it simply, Sano. It sucked worse than babies on a---"  
  
"Please don't finish that sentence," Sanosuke begged. "You'll get me into huge trouble with your mom."  
  
"Fine," said Reiko. All the while, she wouldn't look at Sanosuke. She couldn't let him see her crying. Reiko was sure that no one around her was aware of how weak she really was. She looked perfectly fine after she finished crying. It was DURING her hysterics that it was really obvious.  
  
Sanosuke wasn't to be fooled that easily. "What happened?" he asked her. 'Damn it,' Reiko thought angrily. She decided not to reply and just started off home. Sanosuke grabbed her arm and made her face him. "Reiko, what happened? It must've been bad to make you cry like this. You never cry. Now, tell me."  
  
"Sanosuke..." Reiko began, her voice cracking. This was proof that no one knew how weak she was. 'I never cry. Yeah, right,' she thought. "There was this boy at school. And he called me worthless. What does that mean?"  
  
Choosing not to reply, Sanosuke said, "Why did he call you worthless?"  
  
"He said it was because I was a girl and couldn't write my name," Reiko told him. "And then he said lots of other stupid things to me. Like that I probably can't speak Japanese well because I'm stupid and that his pet dog has a bigger brain than I do. And he wouldn't stop."  
  
"He insulted the fact that you were a girl?!" Sanosuke asked angrily. 'That's what pisses me off the most! Stupid kid, I bet his dad taught him to treat women like that. Chauvinism is contagious if passed on from people you look up to,' he thought.  
  
"But he said meaner things than that," Reiko said. "Sanosuke, are all boys so stupid? I bet any girl is smarter than he is!" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "And the teacher didn't even say anything."  
  
"What? Why?" Sanosuke asked incredulously. 'This is ridiculous. What kind of school did Kaoru send her to?' He wondered.  
  
"Because I wasn't paying attention at the start of class," she told him. "But you know what? I don't care about school. I don't have to pay attention. I'll just learn whatever I have to at home. I'll just go there so mommy will teach me swordsmanship."  
  
Sanosuke smiled. "You never let anyone put you down, do you?"  
  
"Yes I do," she said quietly. Sanosuke seemed not to have heard.  
  
"Well then, do you want to go home and learn?" he asked her. She nodded fervently.  
  
* * *  
  
But when they got there, it wasn't Kaoru who was waiting for them. It was Yahiko.  
  
"Kaoru's busy teaching her students," he informed them. "So I'll be teaching Reiko."  
  
"Really, uncle Yahiko?" Reiko asked happily. "Great! I wanted to ask you something." It was a very wicked something, so she didn't want her mother to be around when she voiced her question.  
  
"Yeah...but it's going to be hard for you to train in that," he told her, pointing to her kimono.  
  
"Oro?! I have to train naked?" she asked him angrily. "That's wrong, uncle Yahiko! It's very wrong! You're a sick pervert!" Sanosuke desperately tried to stifle his laughter while Yahiko glared at him.  
  
"That's what you get for hanging out with her so much, Yahiko," Sanosuke said, still cracking up. "She knows your ways."  
  
"I didn't mean it like that!" Yahiko screamed defensively. "I meant that you have to wear boys' clothing since they allow for more movement, damn it!"  
  
"Be civil around the girl," Sanosuke warned Yahiko.  
  
"That's okay, Sano," Reiko said, smiling innocently. "I already know words like damn and crap. And you taught them to me."  
  
"'Be civil around the girl,'" Yahiko mimicked. "Look who's talking."  
  
"Yeah, well, I have to go. Have fun," Sanosuke said, looking very vexed. He turned around and stormed off.  
  
"Okay. Do you by any chance have boys' clothing?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"Why would I dress like that?" she asked in return. "I don't get why you all do. Your pants look like a skirt anyway."  
  
Sighing, Yahiko asked, "Do you have any looser kimonos?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Hmm...you can't learn swordsmanship in that. You're going to have to wear my old clothes," said Yahiko.  
  
"They're not stained with sweat, are they?" she asked. "Because I know boys sweat like pigs, since that's what they are."  
  
"What is it with you ratting on boys today, Reiko?" Yahiko said, ticked off. "Did something happen that I don't know about?"  
  
"Nothing important," Reiko said airily. "So are the clothes clean or not?"  
  
"They should be," said Yahiko. "Unless Kaoru used them to wipe up your puke that time you were sick with a stomach virus."  
  
"Ha ha," said Reiko sarcastically. "Blame me for the fact that you don't know how to take a bath."  
  
"Just stay here and don't go anywhere, okay? Don't go wandering off and come back with Tsubame or something," Yahiko ordered, although there was a pleading quality in his voice.  
  
"Well, I had to do it that time. You people were going too slow. So..." she said, smiling wickedly and deciding to voice her evil question, "did you go faster after that?"  
  
Blushing crimson, Yahiko said, "I'll be right back." He returned a few minutes later, clutching a yellow gi and a white hakama. (A/N: I'm not sure if the skirt/pants thing that Kenshin and Yahiko wear is called a hakama. I'm pretty sure, though. If I'm wrong, tell me.) "Put something under the gi, though, because it's open," he told her.  
  
Sighing heavily and wondering if her day could get any worse, Reiko took the garments from him. "Fine," she said, and went off to change.  
  
* * *  
  
There was absolutely no improvement in Reiko's school life. Masashi Ikeda would not leave her alone, no matter how many times she told him to screw off. In fact, he seemed to have gathered himself a few followers. He and his friends never missed a chance to make fun of Reiko. There were two things that kept her going when it came to school: the prospect of swordsmanship (which she was becoming excellent at), and also what few friends she was able to make. One of them, a twelve-year-old girl by the name of Minako, already knew the uncle Sano Reiko often spoke so highly of, although neither of them knew it yet.  
  
"Hey, Reiko, how's swordsmanship going?" Minako greeted her when all the students were having lunch. "Any luck yet?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm doing great," Reiko said proudly. "Better than Yahiko, even. My mom was so proud when I was able to disarm Yahiko that she bought me my own gi and hakama."  
  
"That's nice," said Minako, smoothing out her green and blue kimono as she sat down with Reiko and her friend, Sora. She couldn't really see why her friend was so happy about being presented with men's clothing, but she said nothing. She didn't want to upset Reiko, since she got enough of that from Ikeda.  
  
Sora, who was Reiko's age, decided to pipe up instead. "What's so great about men's clothes, Reiko? My dad would hit me if I wanted to try them on. But your dad lets."  
  
"Dad?" Reiko asked blankly. "Oh! You mean a person who's like a mom, only is a man. I don't have anything like that."  
  
"I'm sorry," Minako said quickly, shooting Sora an angry glance. "Did he die?"  
  
"Nope," said Reiko. "I never had one in the first place." Reiko made a mental note to ask her mother or Sanosuke exactly why she didn't have one.  
  
Laughing, Minako said, "You see, Reiko, that's not possible. If you never had a dad, then you would never exist. In order for babies to be born, you need a man and a woman."  
  
"That's not true!" both Reiko and Sora said.  
  
"Yeah. Babies come from cabbage patches!" said Reiko knowingly. "My uncle Sano knows these things. He has experience."  
  
This statement caused Minako to choke and spit out what she was drinking. Mrs. Inoue, noticing this, glanced at her disapprovingly.  
  
"Sorry, Inoue-sensei," Minako told her, wiping her mouth as daintily as she could, which seemed to satisfy the teacher. Whispering, she asked, "Did he say he has EXPERIENCE?"  
  
"Yeah, he has experience," said Reiko, not bothering to keep her voice down.  
  
"But you said he wasn't married..." Minako said in awe. "And keep quiet. We could get in trouble if Inoue-sensei finds out what we're talking about."  
  
"Well, he's not married. But you don't need to be married to go to a cabbage patch, do you?" Reiko asked.  
  
"Well...you see, babies don't come from cabbage patches," said Minako, and blushed slightly.  
  
"I knew it!" exclaimed Sora. "They come from the mommy after she drinks a magic potion, right?"  
  
"No, that's not it either," Minako said quietly, so quietly that Reiko and Sora had to strain to hear her.  
  
"Oro?!" Reiko said. "You mean Sano lied?"  
  
"Yes," said Minako. "Now, babies actually---"  
  
"Aw, look at the little girls blush!" someone interrupted rudely. The three girls turned to find Masashi eyeing them from across the room, looking smug. "You were talking about me, right?" Reiko didn't bother to reply and started to clean up her things, a habit she'd had since she first started doing chores. It helped clear her mind and also distract her if need be.  
  
"Actually," Minako said, winking at Reiko and Sora, "we WERE talking about you, Masashi." She got up and strode over to him. "May I sit here?" she asked.  
  
Noticing there was no room, Masashi nudged one of his cronies, telling him to move. "Sit right here."  
  
Minako smiled flirtatiously and sat down. "So...you're really smart, Masashi. And you're modest too. I've been admiring you from afar for a while and I must admit, I like what I see."  
  
"Really?" Masashi asked. Judging by his reaction, it was the first time anyone had ever paid him a compliment like that. "What about me do you like?"  
  
"Er." Minako paused. This was proving to be hard. Masashi was as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside. "Your face," she said finally.  
  
"I for one can't tell the difference between his butt and his face, that I can't," Reiko muttered to Sora, causing her to giggle.  
  
Masashi really wasn't stupid. He wouldn't allow himself to be turned into a fool or the source of Reiko Kamiya's amusement. "That oban Kamiya put you up to this, didn't she?" he whispered to make sure Mrs. Inoue didn't hear. Minako drew away from him in shock. She was twelve and she would never DREAM of using language like the word Masashi had just uttered. (A/N: A direct translation of that word would be female dog-like old hag" in Japanese. And by female dog I mean...well...yeah. The more "scientific" way of saying it.) But Masashi didn't care. He knew that this had wounded Reiko far more than any other thing he had told her.  
  
"WHAT did you say, you jerk?" she shouted, standing up and clenching her fists.  
  
Masashi calmly walked over to her, grinning with malice. "Now, now. You really shouldn't talk to your superiors like that...very unbecoming to some idiot who would consider marrying you..." The smile never leaving his face, he slapped Reiko's left cheek with all his might, causing her to stumble back. Reiko stared at him from the ground, too numb to do anything but that.  
  
"Inoue-sensei!" Minako said angrily. "We have a problem here!" Their teacher turned around to see Reiko standing up and clutching her burning cheek, while Masashi smiled at her.  
  
"What kind of problem, Ishimori?" Mrs. Inoue asked. Studying Reiko's cheek and messed up clothing, she added, "Has someone been fighting?"  
  
"Not much of a problem, Inoue-sensei," Masashi said as Minako opened her mouth. "Reiko stumbled and I simply helped her up."  
  
"Mm hmm, so she fell on her cheek, then?" Mrs. Inoue asked.  
  
"That's right," said Reiko, interrupting Minako yet again. Minako stared at Reiko in shock.  
  
Sighing, Mrs. Inoue muttered, "I wish they would get along." She spoke louder now. "Ishimori, you tell me what happened."  
  
"Ikeda slapped Reiko, Inoue-sensei," she piped up. "Reiko probably doesn't want to say anything to make him get angrier."  
  
"Is this true, Kamiya?"  
  
"Not one word of it," Reiko said instantly. "Masashi has decided to be nice to me and helped me up."  
  
"Exactly," Masashi agreed.  
  
"Miyamoto, you tell me what happened," the teacher addressed Sora. Sora looked from her, to Minako, who looked as if she would kill her if she lied, and then to Reiko, whose pleading eyes seemed to settle the uncertainty in her mind.  
  
"What Reiko says is true," lied Sora. "Minako didn't see what happened too well."  
  
A part of her disbelieving, the teacher said, "All right. Finish eating."  
  
"What the hell was that about, Reiko?" Minako asked, shaking with rage and forgetting to be a dainty female. She sat down and started piling all her garbage. "Leave, moron," she added to Masashi.  
  
Masashi shrugged and left, not concerned with anything they would say.  
  
"I didn't want to disturb the peace," said Reiko. "Violence isn't the way to settle anything." Indeed, it was something Reiko completely believed.  
  
"That doesn't make sense, coming from a disciple of a style of swordsmanship," said Minako, still shaking.  
  
" I study swordsmanship because it's fun, not because I ever want to use it," said Reiko. Later on, Reiko would look back at this belief and merely scoff at its naiveté.  
  
"Still...Reiko, he had no right to touch you," Minako said fiercely.  
  
Reiko was silent for a moment. She knew that she needed to do something. Masashi Ikeda's antics needed to end. They were turning her school life into a living hell. In this case, all her lessons in swordsmanship were useless. She doubted whether she could knock some sense into Masashi using a wooden sword. No...to her, this was a matter that needed to be settled in a different way, a way that only one person she knew would be able to teach her.  
  
* * *  
  
Reiko ran into Sanosuke's home and slid the screen to her room shut.  
  
"Reiko, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home? Kaoru's teaching you swordsmanship today!" Sanosuke said, knocking on her door. When there was no reply, he pressed his ear to the door to listen to what the room's occupant was doing. To his surprise, he heard the faint sound of sobbing. "Reiko?" he asked softly, entering the room.  
  
Sniffling, she screamed, "Leave!"  
  
"You're in my house, you know. I can kick you out, but not the other way around," said Sanosuke. "Now, what's troubling you?"  
  
"Nothing," she lied.  
  
"Do I look stupid to you?"  
  
"Do I have to answer that?" Reiko asked, laughter mingling with her tears. Sanosuke sat down beside her.  
  
"Not if you tell me what's wrong," said Sanosuke, very serious. "Is it that idiot boy again?"  
  
Reiko nodded. "He hasn't stopped bothering me...which is why I came to you."  
  
"You want me to beat the kid up? `Cause if you do, I'd be more than happy too!" said Sanosuke.  
  
"No. If you beat him up, you'll get in trouble. I won't," Reiko replied, cutting to the chase.  
  
"Wait..." Sanosuke said slowly. "Do you mean that YOU want to beat him up?" Reiko nodded. "With what, your bokuto?"  
  
"Once again, that's why I came to you."  
  
"Okay, Reiko, you're speaking in circles. Spit it out," Sanosuke said, his voice filled with the tiniest bit of vexation.  
  
"I want you to teach me your style of fighting. You know, when you punch stuff and it blows up," Reiko said quickly. Sanosuke studied her.  
  
"How do you even know about that?" he asked angrily.  
  
"I've seen you do it. Was that an accident or something?" she asked. 'Because if it was,' she thought, 'then I'm a real idiot.'  
  
"No...it's a punch I learned from a fallen Buddhist monk. It's called the 'futae no kiwami,'" Sanosuke explained. "But it took me a whole week to understand how to do it, and I almost didn't make it. And I was the best fighter in Tokyo, so that's really saying something. Besides, I had the best motivation possible. Reiko, you've never even TRIED punching. I don't think you're cut out for this kind of fighting."  
  
"Really now, Sano?" Reiko asked him, looking venomous. "Then what kind of fighting AM I cut out for? The kind that involves dropping your handkerchief and calling for the big strong man to save you?"  
  
"Reiko...I'm serious. It's very hard. The 'futae no kiwami' isn't something that can be taught. You have to understand it. I can only show you the basics," Sanosuke explained. "That's about it."  
  
"Then teach me the basics."  
  
"Reiko...I really don't know. I don't want to put you through that. It's NOT easy," Sanosuke warned.  
  
"I don't care. I didn't think that it would be easy. I just have to teach that jerk Masashi a lesson...one that will haunt him in his dreams," Reiko said passionately, causing Sanosuke to eye her carefully. 'Yes...just like he haunts mine.' Reiko thought grimly.  
  
"Is this what you really want, Reiko? You really want me to teach you something this hard?" Reiko nodded fervently in reply. Sighing, Sanosuke helped her up. "I'm warning you...I won't tolerate any whining from you. You'll deal with whatever pain this brings you, or you'll back out." He was hoping this would cause her to reconsider, but Reiko only nodded with greater fervor.  
  
"When can we start?" she asked. "I was hoping right now."  
  
"Then fine. But we have to make a schedule. When do you want to learn?"  
  
"Everyday. I don't care if I have to cut school. This kind of learning is more important to me than learning how to properly pour sake," Reiko told him.  
  
"Well...tomorrow's May 1. Since you always stay with either me or Megumi during May, then I can teach you every single day if you like. And I'll let you skip school---occasionally. Okay?" Sanosuke offered.  
  
"Deal," she said, but then she stared at Sanosuke closely. "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"Why is it that I can't go home in May, ever?" she asked. Sanosuke looked away from her. Oftentimes Reiko had this way of staring that made it seem as if she was penetrating into your soul. It was very unnerving...but more than anything else it reminded Sanosuke somewhat of Kenshin in a battle. And in any event, how was he supposed to tell Reiko that the reason Reiko couldn't stay home during May was because her mother had a type of annual insanity, an insanity that kept her locked in her room, screaming random phrases about how much she hates Kenshin? Reiko didn't even KNOW about Kenshin. And she wouldn't be able to understand her mother's attachment to him. He always knew that there would come a time when she would wonder about that, but he never imagined that he would be the person to explain it to her. Perhaps when she was older, he would be able to. But now was not the time.  
  
"It's because your mom goes to away to China every May," Sanosuke lied, still not looking at Reiko for fear of being discovered. "You know, to teach students."  
  
"But why can't I stay at home with Yahiko?" Reiko asked curiously.  
  
"Because Yahiko's usually busy and he can't really take care of you."  
  
"But you don't take care of me, either. You're usually not home and I end up staying with Fox Lady anyway." At the words "Fox Lady", Sanosuke couldn't help but laugh. She had inherited at least ONE trait from Kaoru: dislike of Megumi. Reiko narrowed her eyes. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Nothing. Now, let's start training. I want you to punch me in the stomach as hard as you can," Sanosuke ordered. He would've told her to try punching him in the face, but she couldn't exactly reach that high. Another thing she had inherited from Kenshin was height or, rather, severe lack of it.  
  
Reiko hesitated. "Won't that hurt?"  
  
"Just do it!" he snapped.  
  
"All right...don't say I didn't warn you." She punched him in the middle of his stomach with all her might. Sanosuke didn't even stagger.  
  
"Is that the best you can do? You couldn't kill a fly with that punch!" he said incredulously. "Try harder." Reiko, glaring at him fiercely, punched again. "Reiko...I hardly felt that. You can't punch well at all. See, you don't have motivation." (A/N: Meilin all over again, eh, Evil Authoress?)  
  
Reiko paused. She concentrated on Masashi's ugly face and how she would like nothing more to pummel it into the ground. She concentrated on every single rude comment he had ever opened his mouth to say. And she concentrated on the burning feeling that his slap had left behind. Taking a deep breath, she wound up, and punched Sanosuke again.  
  
"That was good, Reiko!" he said, his eyes wide with shock. "I didn't expect you to punch that hard until at least a week of training!"  
  
"Let's just say I had some help," Reiko said darkly.  
  
"Okay. Now that I know what you're capable of, I'll go find more suitable objects for you to beat up."  
  
As she watched Sanosuke leave, Reiko felt astonishingly pleased with herself. She knew, now, that Masashi would pay for what he had done. And he would pay very dearly.  
  
* * *  
  
~April 1888~  
  
"NO! STOP IT! STOP IT, PLEASE!" Reiko woke up from a dream she could barely remember, screaming those words.  
  
"Reiko, what happened?" Kaoru asked frantically, rushing into Reiko's room with her wooden sword clenched in her hand. She glanced around the room quickly, looking for someone who could've been the cause of Reiko's screaming. When she saw there was no one there besides her daughter, she calmed down and asked, "What happened?"  
  
Reiko looked at Kaoru then sat up, hugging her knees. "Blood."  
  
"What?" Kaoru asked, looking confused. "'Blood'?" Reiko nodded.  
  
"A lot of it. Everywhere. Just...I don't know...blood. It's all I can remember," Reiko said, shaking. Kaoru sat down beside her and hugged her.  
  
"You had a nightmare, didn't you?" she asked consolingly. Reiko stared up at her.  
  
"It wasn't a dream. It was too real. Besides, I could FEEL the pain, mom," Reiko said. She shuddered. "But I can't remember ME getting hurt in the dream. I can't remember anything, really. Just blood."  
  
"Reiko, dreams are often very real. But you're not bleeding, and there's no blood in this room. So it never really happened," Kaoru told Reiko, patting her on the back. "And anyway, there's no one here."  
  
Reiko shook her head. "But there WAS blood, mommy. I don't care if it was a dream. There was a lot of it. And...I'm scared." She burst out crying. Kaoru didn't really know what to do. It was the first time Reiko had ever had a nightmare that horrible. 'Something about this really bothers me. Whenever Kenshin had dreams about his past, they usually ended up meaning something. Hers have never meant anything...but this dream...it absolutely terrifies her. Could it be that the fact that she's been holding her sword in a battle intended way has somehow triggered something in her mind? I never taught her swordsmanship before for fear of how it would affect her...this is just the kind of thing I was afraid of.' Kaoru thought.  
  
It took a while for Reiko to go back to sleep, and she wouldn't let Kaoru leave her side until she did. But the following morning, Reiko behaved as if she never had the dream at all.  
  
"So...do I get taught today?" she asked happily during breakfast as Sanosuke grumbled about how cranky women were in the morning.  
  
"We'll---oh honestly, Sanosuke, shut up---we'll see, Reiko," said Kaoru. She wasn't entirely sure whether the whole thing was a good idea.  
  
"Hey! That's not fair! You promised, mommy! If I don't get taught swordsmanship, then I'm not going to school," Reiko threatened.  
  
Kaoru sighed. "I want you to stay home from school today anyway, Reiko. Is that okay with you?"  
  
"Are you kidding me? Of course it's okay! We were going to practice songs today, and now I don't have to!" Reiko said gleefully.  
  
"Why is that, Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked, looking very pissed off indeed. "I don't appreciate getting up early in the morning, dragging my butt here, waiting for Reiko as she takes forever to get dressed, then walking her to school, and after that walking back."  
  
"Sorry Sano," Reiko said apologetically. "But as my mommy says, my hair is difficult to manage."  
  
"And anyway, can't you get Megumi to take her to school? Unlike her, I have a life!" Sanosuke complained to Kaoru.  
  
"Reiko, make yourself useful and go wake Yahiko. Tell him that there's not going to be any breakfast left unless he hurries up and gets here," Kaoru told Reiko.  
  
"He shouldn't get any food. I made it," Reiko mumbled, but did as Kaoru asked and left the room.  
  
"Sanosuke," Kaoru began as soon as Reiko was gone. "She had a really horrible nightmare last night."  
  
"So?"  
  
"You know how Kenshin's nightmares always meant something, and that something was never a good thing. I'm worried for her safety. So I'm going to ask you to watch her for today, Sano," said Kaoru.  
  
"Kaoru, you're being paranoid," Sanosuke said airily. "Besides, Reiko knows how to take care of herself.  
  
"Oh, really?" Kaoru asked, raising her eyebrows. "Reiko just turned eight about a month ago and you mean to tell me that she can take care of herself? Exactly what am I missing out on, Sanosuke?"  
  
"Well...you see..." Sanosuke began hesitantly, "I've sort of...well...I've been teaching her the 'futae no kiwami' for the past year or so. She's pretty good, although she can only disintegrate small objects like cups, albeit not too well."  
  
"SANOSUKE!" Kaoru screamed, livid with rage. "You should've asked me before teaching her a technique like that! SHE'S WAY TOO YOUNG, SANOSUKE! I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE THAT'LL DO TO HER MIND!"  
  
"When exactly was I supposed to tell you this, Kaoru? While you were lying in bed for a month, crying and wishing for the ground to open up and swallow you whole? Or when you were throwing things at the door, screaming for your beloved rurouni? Or maybe I should've told you when you threw knives at a dartboard, pretending it was Kenshin's head! Yeah, then maybe I would've ended up with a dart protruding from my forehead! That's real smart!" Sanosuke screamed, equally as enraged if not more.  
  
At that moment, Reiko dragged a groggy Yahiko into the room, who sat down and screamed, "Where's my food?! I want my food!" Then he fell face- first into his bowl of rice.  
  
"He's eager..." Reiko muttered, sitting down beside him. "What did I miss?" she asked when she saw the looks on Sanosuke's and Kaoru's faces.  
  
"Nothing," they said immediately, and refused to look at each other for the rest of the meal.  
  
"Whew," Megumi said, entering the kitchen. "I am exhausted. I was up all night."  
  
"Hello, auntie Megumi," said Reiko, and proceeded eating her food. Normally, she would hug someone who was close to her but Megumi was the only exception. She didn't really like Megumi. Megumi was an example of the "perfect woman", a woman who knew how to pour sake right, tie an obi perfectly, and never crease her kimono when sitting down. Something about this perfection bothered Reiko. It seemed that Megumi was, in a way, better than she was at being a woman. Sighing, Reiko shook her head. She hardly understood what it meant to be a woman, and something told her that pouring sake correctly was not all there was to it. And yet...Reiko shook her head again.  
  
"What's up with them?" Megumi asked Reiko quietly, indicating Sanosuke and Kaoru. "Did they have an argument?"  
  
"I have no idea," Reiko answered. "I came in with uncle Yahiko and they were just sitting there, not looking at each other. Uncle Yahiko, I think you should get your face out of the bowl now," she added to Yahiko, who grunted and didn't budge.  
  
"He'll be like that for a while," Megumi said. "What's going on, you two?"  
  
"Nothing," Kaoru and Sanosuke repeated, still not looking at one another.  
  
"I think they got into a fight..." Reiko said. "But I'm done with breakfast and I'm bored. Oh yeah!" She gave Megumi a bowl of rice. "I made it, not mommy, so it's not poison."  
  
"Thanks," Megumi said. Sanosuke rose to his feet.  
  
"Come on Reiko," he said, taking her arm and dragging her to her feet. "Let's go."  
  
Kaoru rose as well, and stopped Sanosuke as soon as Reiko was out the door without him. "About the topic of our argument, don't mention it to her."  
  
"You think I'm stupid, don't you?" he asked.  
  
"No, I don't. And remember to watch her like a hawk."  
  
* * *  
  
"Okay, this is my friend's daughter, Reiko, and she'll be joining us today," Sanosuke said as Reiko went to get herself comfortable in front of the gambling table. "She's only seven so remember to be civil around her. Which means no sick jokes and no curse words." His friends nodded their heads.  
  
"Okay, bastards!" Reiko said, rolling up her sleeves. "Bring it on!"  
  
One of Sanosuke's friends raised his eyebrows. "You were worried about US being uncivil?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Laughing nervously, Sanosuke said, "She's been hanging out with me for a while...I guess she sort of picked that up."  
  
"Hey, whose kid is she? She looks a lot like Kenshin...is she his kid?" another of his friends asked.  
  
"Yeah, and since Kenshin had to...er...leave, I would really like it if you didn't mention him to her. She doesn't know about him," Sanosuke informed them. They nodded again, and went to join Reiko along with Sanosuke.  
  
After Reiko had guessed wrong about fifteen times, she realized that what she was doing was extremely boring. What was even more shocking was that she actually felt she would rather be at school. After all, she hadn't seen Masashi since she had fully learned the "futae no kiwami" and she was eager to show him what she'd been up to for the past two years. She sighed.  
  
"Sano? Can I go outside to get a drink of water?" she asked him.  
  
Sanosuke looked up and stared at her for a moment, as if shocked to see that she was there. "What? Oh, sure." He immediately directed his attention back to the dice.  
  
Reiko wandered outside. She didn't really want a drink of water, but she simply needed to get away from the stuffy room filled with men who told jokes she didn't understand. 'What's even more unfair is that they drink sake, but won't let me! Those old jackasses probably think I'd faint or something.' She thought, and then smiled. 'It's funny. A while ago I would've felt guilty or something if I used a word like "jackass". But now, I don't really care. Who cares if I'm not dainty? I like being a fighter.' She looked at her wooden sword, which she had strapped to her waist even though she was wearing a kimono. She didn't normally bring it with her when she went somewhere, but something told Reiko to drag it along this time, just in case.  
Unfortunately, Reiko's instincts proved to be correct. While she was distracted, someone had snuck up behind her. The last thing Reiko felt before slipping away into complete darkness was that of a very heavy object being brought down upon her head.  
  
* * *  
  
Reiko woke up a little while later, no longer in the garden of Sanosuke's friend. She was at a place she had never before visited in her life: the docks. But her location wasn't of any importance to her. Reiko concentrated more on the very sharp and very non-wooden-like sword that was pressed to her neck, and the blood that was trickling down it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yay! Another chapter is complete. I tried to make this chapter as short as possible but I really couldn't help it. I. Write. A. Lot. ^^ It's just something I do. I really hope no one minds...  
  
Next Chapter: You find out who's actually pressing the sword to Reiko's neck! And Reiko finally gets her revenge on Masashi...MWAHAHAHAHA! I will enjoy writing that part, that I will. I know someone should never actually HATE their own character...but I don't like Masashi. Oh well. I also might add a few old characters in it. If not in the next chapter, then in the chapter after it.  
  
For reviewers: You get to throw darts at Shishio-sama! YAY! I'm just kidding, although if you hate him do whatever you want in my fic. And for reviewers who like Shishio...you can protect him with magical shielding powers! Or...something. I just watched a new episode of RK on Cartoon Network and I'm really hyper! So ja ne and r & r! 


	5. Lies, or Truths?

The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 5: Lies...or Truths?  
  
Disclaimer: Are these things really all that necessary in each chapter? I don't own Rurouni Kenshin! Honestly, if I did, would I be a pathetic obsessed person sitting in front of my computer typing a fic when I could just make this the real thing?  
  
(Everyone gasps.)  
  
JK: So much for me trying to skip the author's note again...  
  
Evil Authoress: Yay! There's an author's note! I get to rant about how stupid sake is!  
  
JK: That doesn't sound like something you would do...  
  
Hiko: It isn't something she would do. I'm just paying her so I get all the sake! All for me!  
  
Yahiko: Hey! I'm not a minor anymore! I get to drink sake too! I mean, the only person here who can't hold her liquor is Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru: What was that?!  
  
Yahiko: Nothing.  
  
Kenshin: Oh...Miss Kaoru will be very angry, that she will be, when she finds out what you said...  
  
Kaoru: Kenshin!  
  
(Kenshin gulps.)  
  
Kaoru: What did Yahiko say?  
  
Kenshin: That you can't hold your liquor.  
  
Sanosuke: Hmm...was this the very same night Reiko was created?  
  
JK: No.  
  
Sanosuke: How would you know?  
  
(Evil Authoress snickers.)  
  
JK (glaring at Evil Authoress): Simple. Reiko does not really exist. She is a weird figment of my imagination. That is why this is called a fanfic, and why she is called an original character. Understood?  
  
Sanosuke: Yep.  
  
Evil Authoress: Yeah. So...do we get to torture anyone before the fic begins?  
  
JK: Like who?  
  
Evil Authoress: Let's burn Shishio! Again! (takes out flame-thrower)  
  
JK (sighing): Man, she likes that thing.  
  
Shishio (sighing): I know chicks dig me, but, really, this is a bit much.  
  
Evil Authoress: I---I---I OF ALL PEOPLE DIG YOU?! NEVER! (burns him)  
  
Shishio: Er...ouch?  
  
Evil Authoress: (gasps) He doesn't die!  
  
Seta: Silly girl, Master Shishio has the remnants of the flames of hell burning inside him. Your silly gun wouldn't do a thing. Mm hmm, mm hmm. ^^  
  
JK: Okay...you're weird.  
  
Seta: Yep, yep, yep!  
  
Evil Authoress: Insane is cool! (glomps Seta)  
  
Seta: Er...  
  
Shishio: Hey! I'm insane!  
  
Evil Authoress: You're right...yay! (glomps him)  
  
Shishio: (victory sign)  
  
(JK sighs.)  
  
JK: Are we done here yet?  
  
Evil Authoress: Of course not. I still have to rant about how sake is bad for you. (holds up sign that says, "Sake: has killed more sour old farts than this world shall ever know")  
  
JK: Except for Hiko. He is one sour old fart with a very strong will to live.  
  
Hiko: HEY!  
  
JK: Come on. You know it's true.  
  
Kenshin: Shishou...you got dissed! Go women! (Shishou is Japanese for "Master".)  
  
Sanosuke: Not this again...Kenshin, have you no pride in your manliness?  
  
JK: What manliness?  
  
Sanosuke: Good point.  
  
Kenshin: Hey! I am a man!  
  
JK: I know. I just like torturing people.  
  
Shishio: So do I! (sets Houji on fire)  
  
JK: And without further ado I bring you chapter 5!  
  
* * *  
  
As the rain beat against her face, Reiko tried to contemplate her odds as calmly as she could. The futae no kiwami would be of absolutely no use to her in this predicament since her hands were tied behind her back. Although the futae no kiwami could be used when head-butting, she hadn't learned how to do that yet. Her legs were also bound together. In the simplest of terms, the odds of her escaping this mess alive were slim to nothing. All this came to Reiko very slowly. Her mind was a turmoil-filled mix of curiosity and sheer, utter terror, with the terror dominating. 'What could he possibly want with me?' she wondered miserably.  
  
"Well, well, well," the man pressing the sword to her neck said lazily, glancing back at her. "Look who's finally woken up. Did you have a nice sleep, Reiko?"  
  
Reiko simply stared at him, afraid to do so much as breathe. A part of her told her that even something as subtle as an intake of breath would dig the sword deeper into her neck.  
  
"You're pretty weak, you know," the man commented. "You were knocked out for two hours from a simple blow to the head. It's sad, Reiko. I expected more of you." He still didn't remove the sword, though, despite his genial way of talking. That way of talking disturbed Reiko. He sounded as if he knew her somehow. Reiko stared into his almost black eyes with her own lavender ones. She put all the desperation and pleading she held inside her into that stare. The man, much to Reiko's surprise, removed his sword. But he stared at her with obvious disgust. "Ugh," he said. "Disgusting. Your father wouldn't have begged for mercy. He would've done something."  
  
Rubbing her neck, Reiko tried not to show that her breath was coming in short, quick gasps.  
  
The man studied her carefully. "You have your father's eyes, Reiko." Reiko responded with a wide-eyed stare. "Yes...his eyes when he was in one of his pathetic moods." Reiko's eyes went from a big-eyed stare to a glare with clear dislike. 'Who is this bozo? And how does he know about my father? Hell, I don't even know about my father,' Reiko thought angrily. Her old personality, that of a whimpering little girl, was evaporating quickly. Somehow, she knew not how, her voice was completely steady when she spoke, unclouded by fear or rage.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked. "And why did you bring me to the docks?"  
  
The man laughed hard. "Now don't tell me...your wench of a mother kept you away from the docks, didn't she?"  
  
Reiko opened her mouth to contradict him, but she realized it was true. Her mother, Sanosuke, Megumi, and even Yahiko had NEVER let her anywhere near the docks. They told her they were afraid she would drown...but somehow that made no sense. When she once visited the hot springs Gensai-sensei's sister lived nearby, no one had supervised her and she was only five at the time. 'They obviously knew I could take care of myself. And I can swim, too. Could he really have a point?' she wondered.  
  
"I'm right, aren't I?" he asked. "Don't answer that. I already know. Of course, I can understand why she would. Your father committed murder on these docks, Reiko."  
  
"What the do you know about my father? What's this crap you keep preaching about?" she spat angrily. While he watched her carefully, Reiko desperately tried to weave her hands out of the rope that bound them. She was having little success.  
  
"Now, don't tell me. You have some bizarre fantasy that your father is really a good person?" the man asked, laughing again. "He must not talk to you often. You live with a person you know nothing about."  
  
"You obviously don't know anything about me," Reiko spat. "I don't live with my father. In fact, I don't know the man. I don't even know his name." The man laughed again. "Shut the hell up!"  
  
"Don't lie."  
  
"I'm not lying!" Reiko shouted. "I don't know who he is! I don't know what he looks like!"  
  
The man stopped laughing. "You're not lying..."  
  
"No, you idiot. I'm not lying."  
  
"That moron!" he muttered angrily. "I told him to find out everything about you...oh well. He'll be dealt with later. When I hire spies I want them to do their job fully and not just half of it."  
  
"Excuse me?" Reiko asked. The idea of someone stalking her and watching her every movement was not appealing to her at all.  
  
"Shut up while I think," the man said, putting the sword to her neck again. Reiko held her breath and tried not to cry. 'I don't want to die! Not yet, not here, not because of him,' Reiko thought, feeling utterly forlorn.  
  
"Now, now. Don't be frightened. I have a story to tell you before the ground runs red with your blood," the man told her once he noticed she was afraid again. "Swords scare you, now don't they? Hmm. Coincidences can be frightening. They bothered my son as well. Although I see you have a wooden sword. Is it just metal swords that you're afraid of?" When she didn't speak, he looked at his sword and removed it. "It wouldn't hurt for you to talk, you know."  
  
"Swords don't scare me..." Reiko lied. The truth of the matter was, they now did. What she had failed to tell her mother about her dream was that she knew swords had caused the blood bath she witnessed.  
  
"You lie," the man said. Reading her expression correctly, he added, "I could see it in your eyes. You don't hide emotions well at all."  
  
Sighing, she asked, "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me about my father?"  
  
"So, you're really interested?" he asked, smiling. "All right then. Your father was known as 'Hitokiri Battousai.'"  
  
"I'm sorry..." Reiko said when he didn't continue. "I don't know who that is."  
  
"You've got to be kidding," the man said incredulously. "He was a legend! He shed so much blood during the Revolution! How could you not know who he is?"  
  
"I don't!" Reiko snapped. "You know, before we go on to my father, let me warn you. Kidnapping is illegal. Did you know that? As soon as I get free, I'll kill you! And if I don't get a chance, then the police will."  
  
The man chuckled. "I doubt whether you'd so much as poke me in the eye, let alone kill me. And what would you kill me with? That wooden sword at you waist? The biggest creature that thing could kill is a fly; perhaps a cricket." He smiled at her. "You will know who I am soon enough."  
  
"Soon enough isn't good enough for me. I want to know now!" Reiko ignored the fact that she sounded like a whiny little child.  
  
"Now, now. No need to whine. I said you would know who I was soon enough, and you shall. Besides, you are in no position to make requests or threats for that matter. Or is this a pathetic attempt to drag my story out longer by arguing with me? No, I don't think that you're smart enough," the man said. "Now, sit quietly and listen. Your---"  
  
"You won't kill me," Reiko said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You won't kill me," she repeated.  
  
"Would you care to test that philosophy?" he asked, looking down at her. Reiko looked away. The man walked over to a wooden post and sat down, leaning against it. He looked at her as he spoke. "I take that as a no. Hitokiri Battousai was one of the most feared men during the Revolution that accompanied the end of the Tokugawa regime. Or do you not know what that is, either?"  
  
"I know what the Revolution is. I'm not stupid."  
  
The man scoffed. "You sure could've fooled me, Himura."  
  
"Oro?" Reiko asked. 'He goes from calling me Reiko to Himura? Who the hell is Himura?' she wondered.  
  
"Ah...I should've guessed. Your last name is not Himura, is it?"  
  
"No," Reiko replied.  
  
"So you took your mother's last name? They really want you to have no connection to the Battousai, do they?" the man asked. Reiko stared at him quizzically.  
  
"I thought you said my so-called father's name was Hitokiri Battousai," Reiko said slowly. The man sighed.  
  
"Are you stupid or something? Who would name their child 'Hitokiri Battousai'?" he asked. Reiko considered this, and realized that he had a point. No sane person would give their child the first name of "Assassin." "Now, may I continue? Without any interruptions?" Reiko nodded. She still desperately fumbled with the rope that bound her. He had tied it expertly. She doubted whether anyone would be able to untie the ropes when they found her without having to cut them. 'That is, if I'm ever found,' she remarked silently. "Okay. Now, your father was a very skilled assassin. I don't think I have ever seen anyone kill without any remorse in his eyes. But the Battousai lacked pity of any sort. I myself once witnessed one of his assassinations. The man was fearless. In battle, I don't think he cared whether he lost his life."  
  
"You seem to admire the Battousai," Reiko said dryly. The man glared at her.  
  
"Baka girl...I was simply trying to assure you of your father's insanity," the man replied. He brushed his bangs out of his eyes, and those eyes bore a very pained look that made Reiko nearly pity him for a second. But the look disappeared instantly, along with her sympathy.  
  
"This man you speak of..." Reiko said slowly. "You call him my father. I disagree with you, that I do. I have no father. A father is a man that cares for his child, or at least spends time with him or her. A person such as that doesn't exist for me. I have a mother, and that is all."  
  
"Don't try to romanticize the role, Reiko," the man told her, reverting back to first-name terms. "A father is a person who aided in your creation. If he is not with you in spirit that doesn't change the fact that he is still your father. Or are you too naïve to know what I mean by creation?"  
  
"Shut the hell up!" Reiko barked. "I may be a little slow when I'm fearing for my life, but that doesn't make me naïve!" As soon as she had spoken, she knew her words had been a mistake. The man was now assured of her fear, and she had caused his assurance. She felt like kicking herself, and she probably would have if it weren't for the ropes.  
  
Chuckling, the man went on. "All right. I won't accuse you of being naïve. You seem to be rather offended by that. Although it would be wise if you tried to hide your emotions a bit more. Your mind is like an open book to me."  
  
"Open book my ass," Reiko muttered, still desperately fighting to free herself.  
  
"I suggest you loosen up on the hostility. I wouldn't like to kill you without you knowing why. And stop trying to get those ropes off. I believe even I will have trouble untying them," the man advised her.  
  
"Wait. So you intend to untie me? What for?"  
  
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I killed you without allowing you to fight back," he replied airily. "Now, pay attention and shut up." Reiko nodded again, wondering where Sanosuke was and whether or not he had even noticed she had left the room. "So...where was I? Ah, yes," he went on. "I must admit, I felt a tinge of admiration for him at first. I remember speaking of the man often to my wife, and my son was always keen on listening to stories of this 'great legend.' Unfortunately, those stories turned out to be his doom." He pulled a piece of paper from his sash. "This is the letter my son wrote to me before his death." He walked over to Reiko, who was sitting on her knees, and placed the letter in her lap with trembling hands. "You can read, can't you?" he asked, settling beside her but still shaking.  
  
"No shit," Reiko said, and glanced down at the letter. 'The longer I take to read it, the longer Sanosuke will have to look for me,' she thought to herself.  
  
The letter was addressed to a man named Fujitaka Wakamaru. She glanced at the man, who was looking anywhere but at her and the letter that was in her lap. "So that's your name," she commented. "Fujitaka Wakamaru." The man nodded shakily, still avoiding looking at her. 'So that's the name of the bastard who shall kill me in the next five minutes...unless my bastard guardian hurries up and gets his butt over here! I can't fend this psychopathic loser off on my own. Sano, where are you?!' Her eyes began to sting and she knew she was on the verge of tears again. 'No. I can't give up. He'll come. He has to,' she thought. Sighing, she looked back at the letter and read it to herself:  
  
'Dear Father,  
  
'I am afraid that by the time this letter reaches you I shall be dead. As you know, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my idol and have gone on what has been called a "psychopathic rampage". Honestly, all that uproar just because I killed a couple dozen people. It's not like their lives meant anything...'  
  
Reiko paused in her reading. The letter was disgusting. Fujitaka Wakamaru's son had absolutely no respect for other people. 'A couple dozen people,' she read again. 'What the hell is wrong with him?!' Though the letter wanted to make her retch with disgust, she forced herself to keep reading.  
  
'...Father, I am sorry if what I have done brings you pain. But I have achieved my lifetime goal. I have become exactly like the Battousai. There is no point for me to live anymore. Besides, the police are on my trail. I must admit, I was a bit careless with my last murder. I decided against burning the body, as I normally would do. I stayed at an inn and the woman there showed me much kindness. Feh...kindness. Such an empty word. Anyway, she did do something for me that I am grateful for. She allowed me to stay in her inn for free when I was being paranoid that I would be discovered and killed. At the time, I didn't feel ready to die. Not at the hands of the police. She got someone to take my things into a room, and I carelessly left my bloodstained sword in that bag. That someone must have informed the woman, so she tried to question me. (Foolish oban.) In any event, the woman figured out who I was. It seems someone she knows was murdered by me. My thoughts were, "Oh well," but I imagine hers were rather different. Anyway, I killed her in my usual way: slitting her throat and letting her bleed to death. Her death was not at all pretty. She kept writhing in pain during the little while she remained alive after I wounded her. And it would have been better for her if she hadn't been thrashing about so much. Perhaps then her head would have stayed on.' Reiko stopped at that. She felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Turning so she wouldn't get that bitter taste all over her clothing, she retched onto the wooden dock, letting out all she had eaten for the whole day.  
  
"I imagine the letter caused that," Fujitaka commented when she was finished. Reiko glanced at him and saw he was still avoiding looking at her.  
  
"There's no way," she said weakly, wiping her mouth on her shoulder as best she could. "My father wouldn't act like that. Only a madman would."  
  
"And your father was indeed a madman. Did you think a hitokiri could possibly be sane?" Fujitaka asked.  
  
"Still..." Reiko sighed. "Take your letter back. I don't want to read anymore."  
  
"Finish it," he ordered. "I don't think you understand my motive yet."  
  
"I don't want to," Reiko told him flatly.  
  
"Skip over the part that made you retch and continue. I need you to know why I despise your father so much," Fujitaka told her.  
  
"Being that you despise my father, why do you wish to kill me?" Reiko asked. "I am not my father. How could I be, if I don't even know the man?"  
  
"Reiko, Reiko, Reiko," he said, shaking his head with an irritating patience. "Deny it all you like. The blood of the Battousai runs in you. You are bound to be like him in some ways. Like I said earlier, the two of you share the same eyes. Although his at the time were a rather different shade..."  
  
"Then how would you know whether or not my eyes are the same as his?" Reiko retorted.  
  
"Please, Reiko. I saw the man after he supposedly gave up killing for good. His eyes were pathetic. So much sympathy. You know, it wouldn't have bothered me had I not known that a manslayer hid behind those eyes. The eyes were just a mask."  
  
"Then how could I have inherited them, then?" Reiko asked quietly. "People don't inherit masks. They inherit what their parents were born with."  
  
After a few minutes, Fujitaka said, "Finish the letter so I may finish the story. Then we shall do battle."  
  
Reiko switched her gaze over to the letter.  
  
'...I was also forced to kill that someone who gave me away. His body I burned. This proved to be a mistake, however. The police connected all the murders by that one fact, and they were able to somehow trace it to me. Stupid pains in the rear. And everything was going so well for me, too.  
  
'And I suppose you wish to know why I seem not to care that my life will only last a few hours longer. It is because I have come up with the perfect way to die: by having my idol kill me. And I also devised the perfect way to make him kill me. I know of all the talk that he has given up his manslayer ways, but in my opinion, a manslayer is a manslayer until the day worms have consumed his flesh. I WILL bring out the hitokiri within him. Now for my plan: I have kidnapped his friends and also his lover. It's funny. It seems my timing was perfect. When I found the woman, she was throwing up. I think she's pregnant. That should really anger the Battousai. Now, as for why I want to die: I know that as soon as the police find me, they will kill me. After all, before I left I was already sentenced to death by being hung. But I will choose who shall do the killing, not them, and the way in which I shall die. And dying at the hands of the Battousai and the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu...it's a death one can only dream about.  
  
'Tell Mother not to worry. And you don't worry either. I don't care if my soul doesn't make it to heaven. Hell will suit me just fine.  
  
'Your Son,  
  
'Shinta'  
  
"I finished the letter," Reiko told Fujitaka.  
  
"You know, that letter reached me too late. I already knew my son was dead before it got to me. And knowing that his idol killed him was no consolation, Reiko. Shinta wasn't even my son's real name. He changed it to Shinta to have something in common with the Battousai. It was actually through this letter that I found out that a child of the Battousai might actually exist. I want to kill you, Reiko, because your father took away my child. It is only suitable that I should take away his," he informed her, taking the letter from her and pulling her to her feet. "Now. Let us match my talents against yours, heir of the Battousai." With his sword, he cut the ropes that tied her hands and her legs together. "I'll allow you to make the first move, Reiko."  
  
Reiko looked from her wooden sword to his metal one. This was thoroughly stupid. Her sword couldn't slice through anything, while Fujitaka's sword could slice through her neck in one, swift motion. Besides, he was twice her height and twice her width. Fujitaka could kill her just by sitting on her. Another problem was that the ropes had dug red welts into her skin that were filled with a searing pain. And then there was the rain. Reiko tried gripping her sword. "Damn it..." Reiko whispered as her mind tried desperately to come up with some sort of strategy. "The pain is impossible to deal with."  
  
"All right. I'll go first," Fujitaka offered. He gripped his sword and began to circle Reiko. She kept her eyes on his sword. If he was to attack, he would attack with that. It took only for her to blink and Reiko lost sight of Fujitaka. She blinked again. 'Where the hell is he?!' she wondered. For a moment she felt no more drops pouring onto her head, and looked up. Fujitaka was above her, about to bring his sword down upon her head in one fatal blow. Reiko brought her bokuto up to protect herself from it. 'I guess the rain wasn't such a bad thing after all,' she thought with relief as her own sword cracked from the pressure. Fujitaka jumped back.  
  
"Not bad, Reiko," he said. "But I expected no less."  
  
"Enough talk," Reiko whispered, backing up.  
  
"Ah, so you think retreat will save you? Don't get your hopes up." When Reiko was backed up against the edge of the dock, Fujitaka charged at her, sword pointed at her neck. Reiko waited until he was close enough and knocked his sword away from her neck. Fujitaka did, however, manage to slash her shoulder. Ignoring the additional pain in her sword arm, Reiko jabbed her sword in his stomach with all her strength. Fujitaka actually stumbled back. "Not bad at all," he said, clearly impressed. It was now Reiko's turn to go on the offensive. Wasting his attention on idiot talk, Fujitaka didn't notice her run up behind him. She jabbed her sword into the crook of his knee, causing him to stumble again. Now that he was short enough to reach since he was on his knees, Reiko tried bringing her sword on his collarbone. With enough force, she would be able to break it. But Fujitaka was too quick for her. He grabbed her sword and, with Reiko gripping it firmly, flipped it over his shoulder. Reiko landed on the very edge if the dock, sprawled on her back.  
  
"Shit!" she swore, trying to get up. Fujitaka stepped on her stomach.  
  
"Now, now. You should've known that you were entering a battle you couldn't win. I am simply not in your league," he told her. "Now die." He pointed his sword downward, aiming at her heart, and thrust.  
  
With a speed Reiko didn't know she possessed, she rolled out of the way and the sword missed her heart, grazing her left shoulder: the one that had not been damaged up until that point. But in doing so, she rolled off the dock itself, managing to grab onto the edge of it with her left hand and cling for dear life. The dock was wet, and this was proving to be difficult.  
  
"Like I said, you and I are not in the same league, Reiko," Fujitaka said coldly, looking down at her. "If I won't kill you, then the ocean will." He stepped on her hand. Reiko tried to ignore the pain and held on. "So I see you aren't that easy to kill," Fujitaka commented. "All right then. You just HAD to be difficult." He brought his sword down on Reiko's hand. This time, she had no choice. Unless Reiko wanted her arm amputated, she had to move it. She still wasn't fast enough, though, and the sword grazed it. "Have a nice swim!" Fujitaka called as Reiko plummeted into freezing cold water, made all the more tumultuous by the storm. He strode off, whistling to himself.  
  
Reiko fought to swim to the surface. When she did, another wave pushed her down again. 'Kuso!' she thought, kicking her feet desperately. When she was above water for a matter of two seconds, she screamed, "SANOSUKE!" A wave of water covered her head again. It was as if the ocean was fighting to kill her. "SANO!" she called again when she resurfaced. Seeing that another wave was approaching, she held her breath and went below water. 'Unless I get help,' she noted, 'I'm a goner. The shore is no where near here.' Out of breath, she swam up again. "SANOS---" Reiko was cut off as another wave covered her head. As Reiko tried to swim up again, not willing to allow the ocean to win this fight, the worst possible thing happened: her leg cramped up. 'Kuso! Kuso! Kuso! Kuso!' she thought, trying to kick herself up with one leg. It wasn't working. The struggle was making her sink deeper and deeper. 'Well, at least my bokuto fell in the water,' she thought grimly as her consciousness slowly began to slip away. 'That way, they'll have some idea of where to look for my bod...' She wasn't able to complete her thought as she slipped away into total darkness.  
  
* * *  
  
"Where in all the hells is she?!" Sanosuke asked himself worriedly. He had looked everywhere for her. Reiko hadn't gone home, she definitely wasn't in the backyard, she didn't return to school, and she didn't go back to his house either. It was as if she had just disappeared... Sanosuke sighed. This search was starting to remind him of his long night seeking Kenshin. Especially since it was pouring. Suddenly, Sanosuke stopped. He was facing a road that led directly to the docks. "Could she have possibly gone there?" he wondered aloud. Sanosuke shook his head. "No, she knows that place is forbidden." He started to turn around, but the faint sound of someone calling his name made him stop. Without giving it another thought, he sped off toward the docks.  
  
Sanosuke arrived in time to see Reiko's head get covered for a last time. Sanosuke looked around quickly, his mind inventing a rescue. He spotted a long rope. Securing it to a post, Sanosuke threw it over into the water. Then he dived in.  
  
Sanosuke ignored how freezing cold the water was. All he concentrated on was Reiko's rapidly sinking body. 'Damn it!' he thought angrily. 'She's unconscious. That'll make it harder for me to get back to the dock.' Sanosuke swam toward her and, grabbing her, began to rapidly kick his legs to get to the surface.  
  
Once he did, the cold air and pouring rain seemed to return Reiko to consciousness.  
  
"S-sano?" she asked weakly as she opened her eyes.  
  
"Good, you're awake. Do you think you could grab on to my neck so I can climb back to the dock?" he asked her. Reiko nodded and did as he requested. Sanosuke grabbed the rope, and began pulling them up.  
  
"That was some drink, Reiko," he commented dryly as he set her down on the solid wooden dock. "Now...I'm going to try not to get too angry...BUT WHAT IN A THOUSAND HELLS ARE YOU DOING AT THE DOCKS WHEN THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON HERE AND THE RAIN IS POURING NON-STOP?!"  
  
Had the situation been less serious, Reiko would've laughed. Sanosuke's face was beet red and he looked like he was ready to strangle her. "Hey, Sano, did anyone ever mention you look like a wet chicken after a swim?" she asked, unable to help herself.  
  
"I---but---REIKO!" Sanosuke yelled. "Answer the question! What are you doing at the docks?! You know this place is forbidden!"  
  
"Oh yes, I know that, but I can't say anyone cared to share WHY this place is forbidden. People come hear everyday," Reiko said calmly, fighting back the stinging feeling in her eyes. She would NOT cry in front of her uncle Sano.  
  
Sanosuke calmed down, and then actually observed Reiko. Both her shoulders were bleeding, her wrists and ankles had painful looking welts on them, and one of her hands had a cut running across it. "Reiko...you didn't come here willingly, did you?"  
  
"Well, now, Uncle Sano, I knew you weren't a complete idiot. No, I didn't come here willingly. While you were playing with your dice, I was bashed over the head and kidnapped. You'd make a wonderful father, Sano. And speaking of fathers, where the hell has mine been these past eight years? Committing a couple dozen murders or so? Or has he been bedding women besides my mom and then leaving them to fend for themselves as well? Wherever he's been, it certainly hasn't been here," Reiko snapped. She sat down on the dock and proceeded to rip a piece of her kimono off to use it as a bandage. It was stained and torn beyond repair anyway. Wrapping strips of it around her bleeding ankles so she'd be able to walk, she pressed, "Well, Sano? Any comments?"  
  
After blinking several times, Sanosuke asked, "Reiko, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Answer my question, Sano!" she snapped again. "Where has that bastard been all these years?"  
  
"Reiko, you're hurt. We can talk after you've got your wounds tended to, and maybe when you've had something to eat---"  
  
"Will you stop clucking any time soon, Mother Hen, and answer my questions?" she interrupted sardonically.  
  
"There's nothing to answer."  
  
"Yes there is. Tell me who my father is. If he is indeed the person I think he is, then it's his fault that someone attempted to kill me today," Reiko said quietly. Sanosuke looked at her sharply, and when Reiko met his eyes, she saw there was a mix of pity and remorse in his eyes. They were the complete opposite of her own eyes, which held nothing but severe hate and anger with an unseen person: the Battousai.  
  
"Reiko..." he said softly. He wanted to hug her, but thought better of it. "Who told you something about your father?"  
  
"That isn't important, Sano. What's important is WHAT he told me. My father is Hitokiri Battousai, isn't he?" Reiko asked. "Don't bother answering that question. I know it's true. But tell me this instead: why hasn't anyone told me about him all this time?"  
  
"Hitokiri Battousai?" Sanosuke asked, laughing shakily. "Now, really, Reiko. That's ridiculous! Your father was a humble man who died of disease, not some raving lunatic manslayer!" He laughed again. He was all too aware of the fact that Reiko was staring into his eyes, almost as if she were reading him. 'What's wrong with her?' he wondered. 'What brought this change in her? The look in her eyes...it's not the look of the cheerful little girl I remember. She's completely cold. Her expression looks completely foreign. And as for another thing...her eyes, they're not lavender anymore...they're blue. Like Kenshin's were when he faced an opponent who didn't bring out the manslayer within him.'  
  
Reiko smiled sadly. "You're lying. I can see it in your eyes."  
  
"Don't be stupid, Reiko! I'm not sure if the Battousai even exists!" Sanosuke said airily. "Now, let's get you to Megumi." He hoisted her over his shoulder, Reiko desperately beating his back and screaming at him to put her down before she did just what Shinta Wakamaru had done to his victims. 'It's funny. After I read it and let everything out of my system, it's a lot easier to talk about it,' she noted. "Glad to know they're teaching you beautiful things in school."  
  
"I didn't learn this in school, Sano," Reiko commented blandly, "I learned it from my captor."  
  
After that, it was a very quiet walk to where Megumi resided.  
  
* * *  
  
"Reiko, quit fidgeting," Megumi ordered sternly as she applied an ointment to one of Reiko's shoulder cuts.  
  
"You'd shut up if you knew how badly this hurt, Auntie Megumi," Reiko said coolly. "Saying it hurts like hell is saying that Sanosuke is somewhat stupid."  
  
"Ah, well, I'd have to agree with you there," Megumi replied as Sanosuke shouted, "HEY!" "You know, I'm surprised. From all the blood loss, you should've fainted." Reiko looked away from Megumi. There was no way she was going to admit that the reason she didn't faint was because she had been too terrified at the thought of what would happen to her if she were in Fujitaka Wakamaru's clutches while she was unconscious.  
  
"She did faint," Sanosuke said to Megumi, "only it was for a few moments."  
  
"Freezing cold water along with a few cuts on your body can do that to you, Sano," Reiko said dryly. "OW!" she yelped as Megumi applied the same ointment to her other shoulder.  
  
"Quiet, Reiko. Talking isn't going to help your recovery," Megumi said. "And you, Sano, should be ashamed of yourself! Kaoru told you to watch her! What were you doing, miles away from where Reiko was?"  
  
"I was...you see...it's like this---"  
  
"He was GAMBLING, Auntie Megumi," Reiko said wickedly. Sanosuke froze as Megumi turned to look at him sternly.  
  
"You were what, Sanosuke?"  
  
"I was WORKING, Megumi, WORKING," he told her quickly.  
  
"Yeah, with dice," Reiko put in.  
  
"SANO, YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD STOP DOING ILLEGAL THINGS! WITH ALL WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BAIL YOU OUT OF JAIL!" Megumi shouted, absolutely furious. "AND YOU WERE GIVEN ONE GOD DAMN THING TO DO! YOU HAD ONE RESPONSIBILITY, AND YET YOU STILL SHIRKED IT! IT'S BAD ENOUGH YOU'RE A FREE-LOADER WITH NO CONCERN FOR ANYONE EXCEPT FOR YOURSELF, NOT MENTION THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A LAZY IDIOT WHO NEVER DOES HIS SHARE AROUND THE HOUSE, BUT YOU'RE ALSO RECKLESS! WHAT ARE KAORU AND I GOING TO DO WITH YOU?!"  
  
Sanosuke pointed at Reiko as Megumi paused to take a breath. Glancing at her, she noticed that the child was completely asleep. "God, to think, with a volcanic eruption just centimeters away from her she still fell asleep," Sanosuke stated.  
  
Megumi glared at him, shoved him out of the room, and calmly said, "You're not off the hook, Sano." She closed the door behind her.  
  
"Oh, joy," he muttered.  
  
"Now, enough of the ridiculous bull shit we were acting out in front of Reiko. Explain what happened," Megumi ordered. Sanosuke glanced at her, a little awed. 'Did she just say the word "shit"? Kami-sama, I'm starting to rub off on her,' Sanosuke thought. (A/N: Evil Authoress: I get it! JK: Shut up.)  
  
"Nothing happened, Megumi. I guess Reiko decided to go for a walk," said Sanosuke, lying so badly the truth was clearer than crystal to Megumi.  
  
"Mmm hmm, Sano, and is that why she was bleeding and soaked?" Megumi questioned, making Sanosuke look down at his feet. "I know she didn't get clumsy with a kitchen knife, Sanosuke. Something has happened that you're not telling me. Where exactly did you find her?"  
  
"Megumi, there's nothing to tell. She was going for a walk and got soaked because it was raining," he replied.  
  
"Was it raining sea water, then?" Megumi asked him skeptically. When Sanosuke bestowed upon her a look that roughly stated, "How did you know?" Megumi said, "Sea water has a distinct smell, Sano. Now please, tell me all that you know."  
  
Sanosuke sighed heavily and turned away from Megumi. He was thoroughly ashamed of himself, not to mention incredibly guilt-ridden. The fact that Reiko had to go through something so upsetting was completely his fault. He should have been watching out for her, just as Kaoru had asked him to, and instead of that he had been wasting his time on petty games with dice. "Reiko was kidnapped," he said quickly.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Kidnapped," Sanosuke repeated. "And I suggest you brace yourself, for the reason why isn't any more appealing than what actually happened. It was because someone somehow found out exactly whose child Reiko is."  
  
"You mean...?" Sanosuke heard Megumi say softly.  
  
"Yes. Someone found out she's the Battousai's child."  
  
"Don't call him that!" Megumi snapped. Sanosuke, feeling his rage get the best of him, spun around to face Megumi.  
  
"And just what exactly do you expect me to call that bastard, Megumi?!" he shouted. "Am I supposed to call him our good friend Kenshin Himura?! No! I am going to call him exactly what he is: an obnoxious, conniving, murderous thug who doesn't deserve to be alive in this world!"  
  
"Sanosuke!" Megumi hissed, pushing him away from Reiko's door. "She's finally asleep! There's no need to wake her up after the ordeal she faced today!"  
  
"And you know it's all his fault that Kaoru goes insane every May," Sanosuke went on once they were far from Reiko's room. "I don't see how you can still stand up for him."  
  
"I don't like it when you call him Battousai because the Kenshin we knew was not a raving assassin but a kind person who we owe our lives to," Megumi said icily.  
  
"Are you so sure about that, Megumi? Your little crush on him hasn't gone away even after all these years and it's blinding you," Sanosuke said quietly.  
  
Megumi slapped him. "It's taking all my will-power not to strangle you right now, Sanosuke. Men need to learn how to not pry into a woman's heart! What could you possibly understand when it comes to my feelings for Kenshin?" she spat.  
  
Sanosuke dared to continue. "What do I understand about them? Simply this: that they're completely selfish. Megumi, just give up already! If Kenshin were to return, which I highly doubt since he's a bastard whose face I really want to shove in the dirt right now, he would naturally go back to Kaoru! So enough being so biased against reason and start acting your age, not like a lovesick little school girl!" Megumi, glaring at him vehemently, raised her hand to slap him again, causing Sanosuke to wince, but then lowered it.  
  
"You know, Sano, for once in your life, I think you're right. Now, about your story, it doesn't make any sense. No one knows that Kenshin had a child besides you, me, Yahiko, and Kaoru of course. I don't think even he knows," Megumi said reasonably. "So are you sure she was kidnapped because of that?"  
  
"Megumi, we're not the only ones who knew. Saitou also knew that Kaoru was pregnant. I spoke to him the day Kenshin left," said Sanosuke.  
  
Megumi raised an eyebrow. "Who's being biased now, Sano?"  
  
"That's got nothing to do with it!"  
  
"Oh yes it does. But wait...how did Saitou know?" Megumi asked, then shooting Sanosuke a suspicious look.  
  
"I didn't tell him, if that's what you mean," Sanosuke replied, interpreting her look correctly.  
  
"So does that mean Kenshin knew?" Megumi asked him.  
  
"No...I think he said...I think he said that Shinta Wakamaru told him!"  
  
"What? How did he---?" Megumi broke off, knowing the answer to her own question. "When Shinta Wakamaru found her, she was retching all over the yard. He may have guessed. But that doesn't make any sense."  
  
"And just why not? I mean, who else could it be?" Sanosuke asked.  
  
"Sano, Shinta Wakamaru is dead. Don't you remember reading about his death in the newspaper? Of course I'm banking on the fact that you can read," Megumi told him.  
  
"Yeah, I do remember, for your information. But who knows? Maybe it was some sort of government conspiracy and he really didn't die!" Sanosuke theorized.  
  
"I don't think the government would waste their time on a conspiracy as insignificant as that one," Megumi pointed out.  
  
After a moment, Sanosuke said, "Point well taken. But really, I found her drowning at the docks. Who else could have thought to take her there?"  
  
"That could be a coincidence, you know," Megumi said.  
  
"What could be a coincidence?" a voice asked. Both Megumi and Sanosuke turned around to see Kaoru approaching them, back from training with her students and looking very worn out.  
  
Megumi stood up and began tidying up the room as Sanosuke stood to leave. Wiping her brow with the back of her hand, Kaoru asked, "What's going on?"  
  
"On? Going on? Whatever do you mean, Miss Kaoru?" Megumi asked, trying to appear innocent. Sanosuke smacked his forehead. 'That idiot! We all know it's been a while since she and Kaoru were on formal terms with each other!' he thought with frustration.  
  
"Okay, Megumi, I'm getting worried now. Has something happened?" Kaoru asked. Then she froze, remembering the events of the previous night. "Has something happened to Reiko?" she asked, gripping Sanosuke's arm.  
  
"Damn! Do you people have some sort of womanly instincts that tell you these things?" he asked.  
  
"It's common sense, Sano," Megumi said. "Kaoru, please sit down."  
  
Refusing to sit, Kaoru asked, "Is Reiko all right?"  
  
"Yes, she'll be fine. But first, you have to know what happened," Megumi said, sitting down herself. Sanosuke also sat down, but grabbed a nearby pillow for protection in case Kaoru decided to throw something at him. Kaoru studied them both for a second, then followed suit. "Now, perhaps Sano should be the one to tell you the story."  
  
"Megumi!" Sanosuke said pleadingly, looking at her with desperation. Megumi just waved for him to begin. He sighed. "Kaoru, remember how you were saying that Reiko had a disturbing dream and you were worried that something was going to happen?" Kaoru nodded. "Well, something did happen.  
  
"I know you told me to watch Reiko, and I did. The only time I let my guard down was when she said she needed to get a drink of water. She went into the yard and I didn't accompany her. I think that was when it happened," Sanosuke said.  
  
"Just what exactly happened, Sanosuke?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Well...you see...Reiko was kidnapped," he said quickly. As Kaoru opened her mouth to say something, Sanosuke went on. "And nothing you say or do will make me feel any more guilty, Kaoru. I know that it was all my fault and that I should've kept my promise. So---"  
  
"That's not what I was going to say. Who kidnapped her?" Kaoru asked. For a moment, Megumi and Sanosuke studied Kaoru very carefully. She hadn't blown a fuse, she wasn't kicking Sanosuke in painful places, she wasn't screaming, and she looked no wearier than before.  
  
"Kaoru...what are YOU leaving us out of?" Megumi asked carefully.  
  
Kaoru sighed. "Let's just say I knew something like this was going to happen."  
  
"How?" Megumi and Sanosuke asked in unison.  
  
"A little while after my attempted suicide and when I found out that Reiko was still alive, I got a nice, cheery letter from the police telling me to be on my guard because Shinta Wakamaru was not without friends. They would've naturally heard of his death, and would've targeted anyone close to Kenshin as a method of venting out their anger. I knew it was only a matter of time before something happened. Enough of that, though. Is Reiko okay? Is she hurt?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Yes, but not critically. She should be fine after a little while," Megumi said shakily. She and Sanosuke were still looking at Kaoru with queer expressions. It did not take Kaoru long to find out what their expressions meant.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us, Kaoru?!" Sanosuke shouted. "We had as much right to know that as you did!"  
  
"I decided not to worry anyone. And after nothing happened, I put the letter out of my mind. Did Reiko give the name of her kidnapper?" Kaoru asked. "Or why they kidnapped her?"  
  
"No. But she did mention that whoever her kidnapper was, they knew about the Battousai, whom Reiko now knows is her father," said Sanosuke.  
  
Looking at her feet, Kaoru spoke very softly, "Her kidnapper must've explained a lot to her. But that doesn't matter. Reiko isn't ready to know that her father is really Hitokiri Battousai. No matter what she asks, no matter how much she insists that Kenshin is really her father, we won't let her know the truth until she's ready."  
  
"Then what are we supposed to tell her if she asks, Kaoru?" Megumi questioned.  
  
"Well, I told Reiko that her father died of disease," said Sanosuke. "And if she asks what he did for a living, we could say he worked for the government."  
  
"Sano!" Megumi said.  
  
"What? There are honorable jobs in our stupid government, too!" Sanosuke retorted.  
  
"That's fine," said Kaoru. "Where's Reiko?"  
  
"Asleep in the sickroom," Megumi replied. As Kaoru set off toward where Reiko was, Megumi couldn't help but utter an observation to Sanosuke. "I have to say, she took that rather well."  
  
"I agree."  
  
Little did the both of them know that Kaoru's serenity was a mask, and that inside, her soul was being torn to shreds.  
  
* * *  
  
"Reiko, get up. You have to go to school today," Sanosuke said as he shook Reiko. "Trust me, if it was up to me, I'd let you stay home all the time."  
  
"But in May it IS up to you, Sano. Mom's away in China. She'd never guess," said Reiko. "And besides...I'm not fully recovered yet." She looked at him hopefully.  
  
"Trust me, Reiko. You're fine. Now get out of bed and get ready," Sanosuke ordered, and left the room. Sighing, Reiko got out of bed and walked over to the corner of the room where her clothes were spread out when she stayed with Sanosuke. 'I'm not wearing a kimono today. I don't care if I'll get in trouble at school. Male clothing is a lot more comfortable and it won't be tight on my wounds,' she thought, grabbing a sky blue gi and a white hakama. After she was dressed, she walked over to her mirror to try and tame her hair without her mother's help. It was her main predicament every May. 'Stay down, stupid! Stay down!' she thought desperately, but to no avail. After fiddling with the brush for ten minutes, she realized that what she was doing was pointless. So rather than trying to force it to stay down, she let her hair remain puffy. And rather than tying it in a ponytail that resembled her mother's, she tied it low. 'It's not TOO bad,' she noted, examining her reflection in the mirror. 'I could get used to looking like this.' She stared at the mirror absentmindedly for a little while longer, and then a thought struck her. 'I wonder...do I look like my father? I wish I knew more about him. No one really clarified what he looked like. But I'm actually thrilled that he's not the Battousai. I don't want a murderer for a father, nor do I want to think about exactly HOW he became my father...' She shook her head to clear the thought and left her room.  
  
Sanosuke choked on his breakfast when he saw her.  
  
"I look that bad?" she asked, not in the least bit disheartened. Her looks never concerned her as much as they would the average girl. But she still didn't want to look as sickening as, say, Masashi.  
  
"No. It's just...are you sure you want to go to school dressed like a boy?" Sanosuke asked carefully. 'So it's not my hair,' Reiko thought.  
  
"I really couldn't give a damn, Sano. Personally, I think I'll be able to learn better if I'm comfortable. Kimonos are tight, annoying, and difficult to move around in. Besides, a kimono would be overly tight on my wounds, which would give me unnecessary pain. Would you really want to subject your niece to that kind of punishment?" Reiko said sweetly.  
  
"You have a way with words, Jou-chan," Sanosuke said. "You should be a salesperson."  
  
"Hmm...I'll remember that," Reiko said. "Now I have to go to school."  
  
"Reiko? One last question," Sanosuke said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Are you sure that the reason you're not wearing a kimono has nothing to do with the fact that you're probably going to kick Masashi's ass today?" asked Sanosuke.  
  
"Now, Sano!" Reiko said, pretending to be hurt. "You don't know me well at all, do you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I could kick his ass dressed in a kimono as well," she replied, smiling for the first time in days.  
  
"All right then. Be sure to tell me all about it once you get home. And punch him a couple of times for me," Sanosuke requested.  
  
Smiling wider, Reiko answered, "With pleasure."  
  
A while later, Reiko slid open the door to where her classroom was. Ignoring all the strange stares her fellow classmates were giving her, she took her seat and directed her attention at the teacher.  
  
"Kamiya," Mrs. Inoue began, "how nice of you to join us for class today. Staying home got boring, I presume?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, and school is just SO much more interesting," Reiko replied sardonically. 'That woman needs to start looking with her eyes and not with her ego,' she thought angrily.  
  
"Why exactly haven't you shown up for class for the past two weeks, Kamiya?" Mrs. Inoue inquired.  
  
"Well, you know, I've only been recovering from near fatal wounds, Inoue-sensei, but you know, you're right. Who cares if I would've died on my way here? At least I would've upheld my duty as a student and would've TRIED to come here to learn useless facts about why the crops have been so dry lately," Reiko said, never ceasing to be sarcastic.  
  
Mrs. Inoue looked a bit taken aback. "You've been doing what at home?"  
  
"Don't you hear well? I've been recovering from nearly fatal wounds," she repeated slowly to make sure Inoue-sensei heard every word.  
  
"Ah, well...then..." Mrs. Inoue was trying to find a way to scold Reiko for her absence, but was proving to be unsuccessful. So she searched for something else improper to preach about. "Why aren't you wearing a kimono?"  
  
"Because male clothing isn't tight and doesn't press down on where I've been hurt, all right?" Reiko snapped.  
  
"It's indecent, Kamiya," Mrs. Inoue pointed out.  
  
"Don't go insane, Inoue-sensei. I AM wearing something underneath the gi, so there's nothing indecent about it. Now, I'd hate to continue being a disruption to your extremely enlightening lesson, so why don't you continue?" Reiko said. But due to powers out of her control, she was still being a disruption. Several boys had gathered around her and were staring at her with respectful awe. Reiko blinked several times. 'Since when do boys look at ME like that?' she wondered. Then a realization hit her. 'They're not Masashi's cronies. So it's not life-threatening for them to speak to me without slipping an insult in every sentence.' She glanced over to where Masashi was sitting. He looked sullen and downright pissed off, and that made Reiko smile. Some of his "followers" were looking at her too, but not with the contempt-filled gazes that she was usually met with. There was some respect in their eyes, too. Either respect, or pity.  
  
"Where'd your wounds come from?" a boy asked. Reiko regarded him for a second. She didn't recognize him.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Oh, that's right. You weren't here a week ago. I just moved here. Name's Satoshi Yagami. I know all about you from them, though," he said, pointing to Masashi and his group.  
  
"Yeah, they must've had REAL nice things to say about me," Reiko said, with a hollow laugh.  
  
"If you're wise you won't ask," Satoshi replied. "So, how DID you get that?" He pointed to her bandaged hand.  
  
"Sword fight," Reiko said simply. The boys around her openly gaped at that.  
  
"You mean you were in an ACTUAL sword fight? With ACTUAL swords?" a boy named Kensuke asked.  
  
"Um, yeah. What's so special about that?" Reiko asked, inching away from them. They were starting to scare her.  
  
"Don't be so modest," Satoshi said, slapping her on the back. "From what I heard from Masashi and his friends, modest is the last thing you are."  
  
"Masashi told you a lot about me that you'll find false," Reiko retorted.  
  
"Anyway, you know swords are illegal. How'd you get one?" Satoshi wanted to know.  
  
"Oh! I didn't have a REAL sword. My opponent did, though," said Reiko. 'Why are they all so fascinated?' she thought incredulously.  
  
"Can we see?" begged another boy, named Akira.  
  
In response, Reiko stuck out her hand.  
  
"I mean the actual wound."  
  
So Reiko removed the bandage from her hand and showed it to them. "Knock yourself out," she said.  
  
"Ouch," Satoshi noted. "That's gotta hurt."  
  
"Didn't you say you had WOUNDS? As in, in the plural?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"Yeah, on my wrists, ankles, and shoulders," Reiko answered. She showed them her bandaged wrists and rolled up the bottom of her hakama to show them her ankles. The boys just stared.  
  
"All right, people. Enough of treating Kamiya like you would a side show. Take your seats and pay attention," Mrs. Inoue snapped. Looking defeated, the boys around Reiko stood and returned to where they were seated before. Reiko wasn't sure, but it seemed as if she'd made a few friends. She heard a small sigh next to her and turned. Sora was sitting right next to her and was not looking pleased.  
  
"Oh, hi Sora! I didn't see you. I thought you sat on the other side of the room," said Reiko genially. Sora regarded her coldly for a second, shook her head, and then looked at the teacher. 'What's her problem?' Reiko wondered, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Kamiya!" Mrs. Inoue said. Reiko looked at her.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What is eighty-nine plus seventy-two?" Mrs. Inoue asked. Reiko stared at her paintbrush for a second before the answer came to her.  
  
"One hundred and sixty one," Reiko replied.  
  
"Who did you copy off of?" Mrs. Inoue inquired.  
  
"No one. I'm not stupid, you know. I did it in my head," Reiko said. "Satisfied?"  
  
"Two hundred ninety-nine plus forty," Mrs. Inoue spat.  
  
"Please, that's an insult to my intelligence," Reiko boasted. "Three hundred thirty nine."  
  
"All right. You've proven that you have sufficient knowledge of addition. But I would prefer for you to pay attention," Mrs. Inoue said.  
  
Speaking for the first time since Reiko had gotten there, Masashi called out, "You're asking the impossible, Inoue-sensei."  
  
"Masashi, I'd tell you not to get your loincloth in a bunch but since it's a little late for that, I'll just ask you to shut up. And you'd be wise to do so while I'm being nice," Reiko advised icily. Masashi raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'Is that wench TALKING BACK to me?' he asked himself, annoyed.  
  
"Repeat that, wench, and I'll beat your face in and forget the fact that you're a girl and obviously weaker," Masashi retorted in a huff.  
  
Reiko smiled wickedly in replication. "I'd like to see you try, Masashi Ikeda."  
  
"KAMIYA AND IKEDA! YOU ARE DISRUPTING THE LESSON!" Mrs. Inoue interrupted, looking absolutely livid with rage. "Kamiya, you will regret it if I have to speak to you one more time. And you, Ikeda, will regret it even more if you're responsible for her actions. Understood?" Reiko and Masashi nodded, still glaring at one another.  
  
At lunch, Reiko tried to eat and ignore the fact that most of the girls in her class kept throwing her looks of contempt. 'What is their problem?' she wondered, confused. 'They never knew I existed before.' A few feet away she saw Sora and Minako standing together. Minako was listening as Sora talked.  
  
Afterwards, Sora, Minako close behind, went up to Reiko and said, "You were really rude to Inoue-sensei today! And just because you think you're so cool doesn't mean you can show up dressed for school like a whore!" With that, she stormed off. Reiko stared after her, unable to say anything.  
  
"Reiko, I'm sorry," said Minako. "But I'm---"  
  
"Don't bother. I know you probably agree with her, so just leave and I won't care," Reiko said coldly, looking down at her food.  
  
"You should have let me finish. I don't agree with her. You look nothing like a whore, so don't pay her any heed. Besides, she's just jealous because you had ten boys crowded around you today from what I heard," Minako reassured Reiko.  
  
"But that's just because they were interested in how I got hurt. I'm sure they were only interested in why I know someone with a real sword," Reiko said.  
  
"Hey, Kamiya!" someone called. Reiko turned around to see Satoshi running toward her. "Kamiya, would you mind sitting with is? We really want to hear about your sword fight!" Reiko slapped her forehead as Minako raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Sword fight?" she asked.  
  
"Heh, about that---"  
  
"Yeah, Kamiya has wounds all over her body from a real sword! Isn't that cool?" Satoshi exclaimed. "So can you sit with us?"  
  
"I generally sit with my friends..." Reiko started.  
  
"Aw, what are you, a man-hater? I could be your friend too!" Satoshi said.  
  
"You know, you can come join us, if you want," Minako interjected. Satoshi looked at her.  
  
"Really? An older girl like you wouldn't mind?" he asked.  
  
"Not at all," Minako replied. "I'd love to hear about why Reiko has wounds all over her body too."  
  
Satoshi dragged his friends over and Reiko made up some story about how she was attacked by a stranger who selected random people on the street and tried to kill them. The boys seemed to buy it, and said their goodbyes once a few older boys called them over. Minako, however, was looking at Reiko unbelievingly.  
  
"They're gone now, Reiko. You can tell me what really happened," she said quietly.  
  
"I did. That was the truth," Reiko lied.  
  
"Reiko, be honest. Did the person who attacked you try to force himself on you?" she inquired.  
  
"What? No! It was nothing like that!"  
  
"Then what really happened?"  
  
Reiko sighed. 'Well, Minako's one of my most trustworthy friends. Well, my MOST trustworthy friend considering I don't have many anymore. I can tell her the truth, I suppose,' she decided silently. Taking a deep breath, Reiko told Minako the real story.  
  
"THAT'S what happened?!" Minako asked, amazed once Reiko had finished. Reiko nodded. "But...why didn't you ever tell me you were the child of the Battousai?!"  
  
"Keep your voice down, Minako!" Reiko hissed. "I never told you because it's not true. The man made a mistake. I'm not the Battousai's child."  
  
"How sure can you be?" Minako asked. "You never knew your father, so for all you know, you could be."  
  
"My mom wouldn't lie to me like that," Reiko insisted. "I'm sure that my father isn't the Battousai."  
  
After regarding her for a moment, Minako said, "I hope you're right."  
  
* * *  
  
"Masashi!" Reiko called once they were all dismissed. Masashi turned around to look at her.  
  
"Yeah, wench? Come to beg for forgiveness?" he asked smugly.  
  
"Actually, I've come to you in hopes of making amends. I was wondering if we could start over and try to get along," Reiko said, hiding the evil smile that was trying to make its way onto her lips. 'For his own sake, he better say yes. Otherwise I'm kicking his ass without any remorse,' Reiko told herself.  
  
"Get along? With YOU?" Masashi asked, scoffing. "I have a better chance of getting along with a monkey!"  
  
"By monkey I presume you mean the three morons that surround you all day, eh, Masashi?" Reiko asked.  
  
"Don't start with us, wench," one of his friends warned Reiko. "We WILL beat you up, and it WILL hurt."  
  
"Okay then. Beat me up," Reiko said, completely calm.  
  
"You have a death wish or something?" the same boy who had spoke before asked her.  
  
"Yeah, I have a death wish," Reiko muttered, getting into her battle stance.  
  
"All right then. Your death will be your own fault," Masashi said, and lunged at her. Reiko stepped out of the way, spun around and kicked him in the head. Masashi fell to the ground. One of his friends came at her from behind, but she heard him and elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to clutch it and back away. As she approached Masashi, yet another of his friends lunged at her from behind. She ducked and her fell over her onto Masashi. She knelt to bring Masashi to his feet, but one of his fallen comrades pulled on her leg and knocked her down. The one that had pulled her down stood up and smirked at her, thinking himself superior to her. Reiko rolled her eyes and knocked him off his feet using her leg. She stepped on the area under his stomach when she stood. Not taking her time, she grabbed Masashi's collar and pulled him to his feet.  
  
"Listen to me very carefully, you idiot bastard. This is pay back. Pay back for every single time you made a snide remark about me. Pay back for every single time you've embarrassed me. And it's also pay back for that time you slapped me two years ago. I don't forgive, and I don't forget. Perhaps you'll learn to forget the humiliation you'll feel from this, that is if you live to remember the tale," she informed him, contempt practically dripping from every word she spoke. Up until that point, she hadn't been using the futae no kiwami. Now she felt it was only proper to inform Masashi, the hard way, as to what she'd been doing for the past two years. Smiling as maliciously as he had always smiled at her, Reiko punched him in the face. Masashi was thrown back against the wall of their school by her attack, and he collapsed, unconscious. Reiko walked over to him and slapped him. "Wake up, fool. I'm not done with you yet." She lifted him to his feet. "I don't expect you to apologize, Ikeda. All I expect is for you to leave me alone for the rest of my life. Understood?"  
  
Despite the fact that Masashi was half-conscious, he was still as arrogant as ever. He scoffed. "Leave you alone?" he asked weakly. "After this? Heh, you wish."  
  
"Now, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Reiko whispered.  
  
"You're not gonna...do anything more..." he choked. Although his voice was confident, there was obvious fear in his eyes. Reiko's grip loosened around his collar without her meaning for it to.  
  
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him. When he didn't reply she pushed him against the wall. "Answer me!"  
  
"It's funny...I always thought your eyes were lavender colored. I never noticed they were amber..." he told her weakly. "But like I said, you won't kill me."  
  
'Amber?' Reiko wondered, tightening her grip once more as her other hand hung limply at her side. 'What does he mean, amber? My eyes ARE lavender.' Shaking her head and realizing that her punch was probably making him see things, Reiko clenched her free hand into a fist and punched Masashi in the stomach with all her might. Masashi coughed up blood and Reiko let him fall to the ground. To make sure she hadn't killed him, she knelt beside him and felt his wrist for a pulse. It was there, but very faint. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she turned to face his two friends. The other had fled somewhere, which brought a wider smile to her lips.  
  
"Come," she beckoned to his remaining friends. They only backed away from her, looking positively terrified. "What, you're not going to come to the aid of your leader?"  
  
"What are you, some kind of witch?" one of them asked. Reiko blinked. That hardly seemed an appropriate thing to say at the moment.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your eyes used to be lavender. Now they're amber-colored. How the hell did you do that?" the other piped up.  
  
Reiko didn't reply. They had clearly lost their minds. Her eyes didn't change color. Was that even possible?  
  
"My eye color is none of your business. Now I suggest you go see to your friend and get him some medical attention. Have a nice day," she said to them genially and turned to walk toward the Kamiya dojo. Her reason for going home when she knew she wasn't supposed to was because she needed to take a new gi and hakama with her considering the one she was wearing at the time was covered with dirt. Sanosuke wasn't the type to do laundry, and she just wasn't in the mood.  
  
"You know," she said out loud to no one in particular. "I enjoyed kicking his ass, that I did." But there was a troubling thought in the back of her mind. Why did they say her eye color changed while she was in battle? It was along the lines of what Fujitaka Wakamaru had said happened to the Battousai. Why did she bear any likeness to him? It wasn't possible that she was really his child. There was just no way.  
  
She slid open the door to the dojo and ran in, heading for her room. She looked in the mirror as soon as she entered the room. Her eyes were lavender, not amber. Clearly, the three boys had simply been raving. About to grab her clothing, Reiko heard the faint sound of crying. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen. Abandoning her task of getting new clothes, she walked over to the kitchen. Inside, she saw Kaoru hunched over the table where Reiko usually chopped vegetables, sobbing.  
  
"Mom?" she asked. Kaoru turned to look at her. Reiko was forced to gasp at her mother's appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair looked as if it hadn't been combed in days, and she looked as if she was ready to tear Reiko limb from limb. "What's wrong, Mom?" Kaoru grabbed a nearby knife and flung it at Reiko. She missed by quite a distance and Reiko didn't even have to get out of the way. Then she fell to the ground, sobbing again. Reiko ran over to her. "What's the matter? Please, tell me what's going on."  
  
"Your existence is a mistake, you know. And it's all his fault you're alive. All his fault. You shouldn't have been born, you bastard child. You shouldn't have ever been created. I hate him! I hate him for doing this to me and I hate him for leaving you with me and going off without so much as a goodbye! I hate you for living! You look just like him...you look so much like the man I loved..." Kaoru said. Then she beat the ground with her fists. "It isn't fair..."  
  
Fighting the tears that were coming to her eyes, Reiko backed away from her. "Who was he? What was his name?"  
  
Kaoru looked up at her for a moment, then smiled strangely. "Your father's name? That bastard's name was Hitokiri Battousai." 'How did I know?' Reiko thought sarcastically. Involuntarily, she kept backing up against the wall by the door. And for the first time in her life, she was terrified of her mother.  
  
"Now," Kaoru said, standing up and sounding very businesslike, "I am going to rid this world of his likeness." She grabbed another knife and began to walk toward Reiko. Reiko just stood there, backed against the wall, too numb and too shocked to move. 'Is she really going to kill me? All because of HIM?' she asked herself. Kaoru was now directly in front of her. She would've been able to stab Reiko right then and there. And she tried to. Fortunately for Reiko, her paralysis wore off and she ducked just as Kaoru tried to thrust the knife into her. Reiko moved so she was behind Kaoru, then kicked her in the back. Kaoru was thrown into the wall. Before she recovered, Reiko did what any normal person would do when confronted with this kind of situation: she ran. She ran out of the dojo and down the road, not really sure where she was going. She knew one thing, however. There was no way in a thousand hells that she was ever going back there.  
  
Without realizing it, Reiko had ended up in front of Sanosuke's door. She slid it open and saw Megumi and Sanosuke, talking to each other but looking very distressed. For a moment they looked relieved when they saw her, but when they actually observed the condition she was in, they looked concerned once more.  
  
"You lied," Reiko rasped, out of breath. "I know now."  
  
"Know what?" Sanosuke and Megumi asked, shooting each other a nervous look.  
  
"I know that Battousai the Manslayer is my father."  
  
JK: Yep...me and my cliffies. I'm sorry to have disappointed people by not making Reiko's kidnapper Kenshin, but that would kind of screw up the whole plot of my story. And yes, Saitou is still alive.  
  
Evil Authoress: Shockingly. Miracle Lung lives!  
  
JK: Yeah, and he comes in later in the story. In the next chapter, actually.  
  
Evil Authoress: Yeah, yeah. My turn to talk. Sake is bad. It gives you hangovers and bad breath. Just ask Seijuro Hiko!  
  
JK: Evil Authoress, I don't think anyone cares.  
  
Shishio: Shut up. Where would we all be if we didn't have sake?  
  
Kenshin: Probably a lot saner.  
  
Sanosuke: Nah, I doubt that. See, some of us can actually hold our liquor.  
  
Kenshin: Except for Miss Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru: KENSHIN! (takes out bokuto) Take that back!  
  
Kenshin: NO!  
  
Kaoru: TAKE IT BACK NOW!  
  
Kenshin: NO!  
  
(Kaoru begins to chase Kenshin around the room, trying to bash him on the head with her sword.)  
  
Kaoru: TAKE THAT BACK!  
  
Kenshin: AW, GO TO HELL!  
  
Kaoru (stopping and gasping): What did you say?!  
  
Kenshin: Sorry, Kaoru-dono! Sorry!  
  
Kaoru: JERK! (bashes him on the head)  
  
Evil Authoress: This is the perfect example as to why sake is bad for you. It tears families apart. (wipes away non-existent tear)  
  
Hiko: Er...can I have my sake now?  
  
Evil Authoress: NO! ALL MINE! (runs off screaming about how all the sake in this world belongs to her)  
  
(Shishio takes out a jug of sake from his...er...kimono. I mean, he doesn't dress like Kenshin's kind of clothing.)  
  
Shishio: Any takers?  
  
Yahiko: Right here!  
  
Yumi: I wouldn't mind some.  
  
Sanosuke: I GET HALF!  
  
Megumi: Let me pour it! I want to pour it!  
  
Yumi: No...it's my man's sake, so therefore I get to pour it!  
  
Megumi: NO ME!  
  
Yumi: GO GET A MAN!  
  
Megumi: ME!  
  
Yumi: I POUR IT!  
  
Megumi: I WANNA POUR IT!  
  
Yumi: No you don't!  
  
JK: Are you sure they're not drunk already?  
  
Shishio: The wenches? Beats me.  
  
Yumi and Megumi: WHAT WAS THAT?!  
  
Shishio: Eep! (runs away with the sake)  
  
Sanosuke: Nooooooooo! Shishio, come back!  
  
(Yumi and Megumi stop arguing and stare at Sanosuke.)  
  
Megumi (to Yumi): So that's why he kept rejecting me when I was giving out all the signals!  
  
Yumi: I feel bad for you, Megumi. But I knew he was gay from the moment I met him. I just hope Shishio is...er...straight.  
  
Sanosuke: I AM NOT GAY! I JUST WANT THE SAKE!  
  
(Penny: Angel of Darkest Dreams pops up.)  
  
Penny: Hey! Sanosuke's so straight he makes rulers look curvy! (disappears)  
  
Megumi, Yumi, and Sanosuke: Rulers?  
  
JK: Anyway, thanks for reading my fic! Please review! (And if my fight scenes suck, be sure to tell me!) 


	6. Kindling

**The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 6: Kindling**

Yes, I have finally decided to continue. Quickly, here's the disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I know that all of the desperate lawyers out there are looking to make some money, but I have nothing to give anyway! Except for my mangas…but those are sacred, no da! 

Anyway, onto the fic. (Note: The beginning of the chapter's a bit messed up and the paragraphs aren't indented. Bear with me, please.)

            Reiko studied the stupefied looks on Sanosuke's and Megumi's faces, utterly enjoying them. "You look surprised," she commented. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out?"

            After a few brief moments of silence, Megumi cried out, "Reiko, you're hurt!"

            "Quit dancing around the subject, Megumi," Reiko said coldly. "I am so freaking tired of all your lies. I just want to know where I came from. That's all. I have a right to know."

            She paused for a moment, studying them with quickly darting eyes. "I also want to know why my mother tried to kill me just now."

            The reaction this statement caused in Megumi and Sanosuke was incredible. Megumi jumped up and made a sort of whimpering noise, while Sanosuke, gaping at Reiko, jumped up and dropped his dish, causing it to break into dozens of tiny little fragments.

            "WHAT?!" they both shouted.

            "That surprises you as well? And here I was thinking that it's normal for your mother to rush at you with a knife clenched in her hand," Reiko went on sarcastically. "Now, wait. Wasn't my mother supposed to be away in China?"

            "Reiko…" Megumi said quietly.

            "Yes?" Reiko asked. "Am I getting an apology for your deceit, or am I getting the explanation I've been asking for?"

            "Your father…he isn't…he's not…what I mean to say is that…well…he—" Megumi began reluctantly. She was interrupted by Sanosuke putting his hand on her shoulder, a gesture telling her to stop speaking and let him do the explaining. He's not such a moron after all. He knows how hard explaining this to Reiko will be for me, she thought, smiling up at him gratefully.

            "Well, now," Reiko said, smiling maliciously. "You two seem to be getting along better than usual. Was I interrupting something? Perhaps you two wanted to make an illegitimate child too?"

            "Reiko!" Sanosuke and Megumi shrieked.

            "Aw…it seems I've touched upon a nerve. Just continue, and I'll shut up," she said smugly. Sanosuke sat down, and Megumi sat down beside him. "You're getting comfortable…that must mean that this is a long story. Well then, do tell." Sanosuke and Megumi glanced at Reiko sharply, causing her to feel just the tiniest surge of guilt in what she was saying to them. But that guilt was gone instantly, replaced by fury. They were the ones that had lied to her. If anything, she was the victim and they were the guilty.

            "Well, your mother met him long before we did. So did Yahiko. What happened between them before we came around is pretty much a mystery. I think Kaoru thought he was the Battousai and attacked him because someone claiming to be the Battousai was running around murdering people, claiming his style of swordsmanship was the Kamiya Kasshin style. Kaoru wanted to avenge her dojo because all her students were leaving since this person was tarnishing the dojo's good name. As it turned out, the real murderer wasn't the person Kaoru attacked. It was just some Battousai wannabe. And when Kaoru found him, she tried attacking him but nearly got killed in the process. Then the first person she met ended up saving her. And that first person really did turn out to be the Battousai. Regardless of his past, and considering the fact that he claimed he was no longer the Battousai, Kaoru let him stay," Sanosuke summarized.

            "You have to understand, Reiko. Kaoru's parents were both dead. She lived alone, and now she didn't have students to teach. You can hardly blame her," Megumi interjected quietly.

            "So, when did I come about? Nine months later?" Reiko asked.

            "No, about two years later, you wise ass," Sanosuke replied. "Now, the Battousai ended up saving Yahiko from a group of thugs who were forcing him to pick pockets. I was hired to kill him."

            "Hold on, Sano. From what you tell me, the Battousai doesn't seem like a bloodthirsty hitokiri. He seems like a really virtuous person," Reiko said slowly, a little bit confused.

            "I know," Megumi said quietly.

            "And Sanosuke seems like a bloodthirsty killer. You sure you're not my father?" she asked him. Sanosuke snorted into his drink.

            "WHAT?!"

            "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." 

            "You better be, Jou-chan."

            "Or what?"

            "Or I'll f—"Sanosuke started, but immediately shut up when Megumi shot him a stern look. "Heh, heh. Anyway, he ended up defeating me, and then we became good friends. I used to be a fighter-for-hire, but I quit after that."

            "You were a fighter-for-hire? Isn't that like a hitokiri, Sano?" Reiko asked suspiciously. Her whole "family" was turning out to be a troupe of murderers and it was not amusing.

            "A hitokiri seeks his victims with the intent of killing them, but I made it clear that I didn't care whether the person lived or died," Sanosuke explained.

            "How considerate of you," Reiko replied sarcastically.

            "You want to hear the story or not?" Sanosuke snapped.

            "Fine," Reiko said submissively. "When did you meet Megumi?"

"When she was on the run from a man named Kanryu Takeda," Sanosuke said.

Before he could continue, Reiko interrupted, "Wasn't he that big shot entrepreneur who got arrested for being in charge of underground opium production?" Sanosuke and Megumi looked at her sharply.

"And you would know this how?" Sanosuke asked.

"The library at school has this whole collection of old newspapers. I read them for information on the Battousai when you told me he wasn't my father, but I happened to come across that as well. It didn't mention Megumi, though," Reiko explained.

"It didn't?" Megumi asked, incredibly relieved. "Thank Kami-sama."

            Sanosuke, on the other hand, just snickered. "You weren't even important enough to the opium network for them to mention you in the article? Damn, did you waste five years of your life!"

"What do you mean, I wasn't important?! I MADE THE OPIUM, STUPID!" Megumi screeched, slapping Sanosuke upside the head. 

"Then no wonder everyone died," Sanosuke said, continuing to snicker.

"YOU STUPID LITTLE—"

Reiko cleared her throat. "I believe that you're getting a bit carried away, Sano. Continue with the story," she said, and the icy calm with which she spoke her words was enough to stop Megumi and Sanosuke's bickering. They slowly turned to look at her, and then flinched. For Reiko's eyes had changed again, from their curious lavender to icy blue. She looked like she'd be ready to hurt Sanosuke unless he spoke, but he couldn't bring himself to utter a single word. The expression in her eyes was worse than Kenshin's ever was when he was a rurouni in battle. Her expression was a mere half-step away from becoming the one they had seldom ever seen in Kenshin: the look of the Battousai.

Once Reiko noticed her guardians' expressions, she blinked several times. What is wrong with them? They look…afraid…terrified... She thought. Her eyes widened. They are afraid…of me. It's the same look that Masashi's friends gave me, and I'm sure Masashi would've looked at me the same way had his pride not been paralyzing him. She jumped up.

"You'll finish the story later, then, Sano," she said. Without waiting for a reply, she sped off to her room and slammed the door shut as soon as she was inside. Reiko fell to the ground, panting. What's wrong with me? She wondered helplessly. Why do I feel so…strange? I'm angry enough with my mother that I could hurt someone, but it's not the first time I've felt this way. But I usually just stamp my feet and throw a tantrum when I'm this angry… But this time, I'm different. I feel like I actually could take myself up on that offer and hurt somebody, maybe even kill them. And the worst part about it is that I'm completely calm about it…like murder would be a second nature to me. By now her breath had returned, and she walked over to the mirror. Reluctantly, she forced herself to look at her reflection. All she found, however, were two wide, lavender eyes staring back at her. She sighed. Maybe I'm just imagining it, then. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. My eyes didn't change color. But following this thought, a very obvious realization struck her. "If my eyes can change color to begin with…then they can obviously change back. I'm not imagining anything," she murmured. And now she knew. She knew that until that day, a part of her being was dormant inside her. But her fight with Masashi and then her nearly fatal encounter with her mother had added up to an awakening, an awakening of the darkest parts of her soul. "I'll suppress it," she told herself fiercely. "I have to. Even if I am half-hitokiri, I will never allow myself to resort to being one. I'll hold back till the day that I die, if I have to." She lay down on her futon, not concerned with the fact that her clothes were covered in dirt. And slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

Megumi quietly began to pick up pieces of glass from Sanosuke's broken dish.

"Leave it," he ordered. "I'll do it myself." Megumi stood and forced herself to smile.

"I'm doing it to save myself extra work, Sanosuke. You'd probably cut your finger and come running to me for medical aid," Megumi said with a false sweetness.

"Megumi." Sanosuke took her arm and pulled her up. "Enough. You don't have to pretend that everything is all right. You and I both know that things are far from all right. We saw a trace of hitokiri in Reiko now, and you know it. The question is, what are we going to do about it?"

            "Do about it?" Megumi asked, scoffing. She laughed scornfully. "Nothing, Sanosuke. We are going to do absolutely nothing. Reiko is not our child, therefore not our concern. She had parents who can worry about that."

            Sanosuke stared at Megumi for a moment, wondering if he should yell or simply backhand her. It was opportune for Megumi that shock had numbed him so much that he went with the former choice.

            "Parents, Megumi?" Sanosuke asked, stupefied. She nodded curtly in reply and began gathering the broken china again. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Megumi paused and stood up slowly, looking anywhere but into Sanosuke's eyes, which bore a more enraged expression than she had ever seen in them.

            "Perhaps you misheard me, Sano. Reiko is not our concern. Neither of us spawned the little brat, so there is no reason for _us_ to be worried about her. Let Kaoru worry. That is what she should be doing, after all, rather than lying in bed, bawling, and missing Kenshin," Megumi said coldly. Both were setting new records for themselves, for Sanosuke could never remember hearing Megumi employ that tone. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. _Why is she being so indifferent? Megumi knows all too well that we promised long ago to care for Reiko as if she was our child. Even Yahiko aided in raising her, and he loves her like a little sister. What in hell is she talking about? _Sanosuke wondered. There was only one answer to his question. He placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. The answer he was seeking was evident from the look in her eyes. Like windows into her soul, they explained the real reason regarding her apathy.

            The abnormal brightness in her eyes told him that she was fighting tears, and wasn't doing too good a job of it.

            "Megumi…" Sanosuke said slowly, "you didn't mean a word you just said, did you? I _know_ you care about Reiko. And I also know that you would go to any length to stop her from turning into a bastard like…well…like _him._" Megumi blinked, and the look in her eyes changed, which caused Sanosuke to let go of her chin. _Here it comes…_ He thought morbidly.

            "Sanosuke Sagara, do you know how to use your head?" she asked, sounding very much like her dear old self.

            "The Fox Lady had returned," he replied dryly. But deep down, although he would rather lose to Saitou a couple hundred more times than admit it, Sanosuke was incredibly relieved. It was partially because she wasn't bashing him over the head with a dish, but more so because he was happy to have the old Megumi back. "Now, why am I being accused of stupidity?"

            "In case you haven't noticed, Reiko already _is_ a bastard—a child without a father. Think before you speak the next time."

            "I didn't mean it literally," Sanosuke said, glaring at Megumi.

            "Yes, but chances are, Reiko is at the door listening to every word we say. And I don't think she'll appreciate hearing that she's a bastard."

            Megumi's small remark caused Sanosuke to explode. "EXCUSE ME?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WAS ALL, 'REIKO IS SUCH A BRAT AND I HATE HER' TWO MINUTES AGO!"

            When Megumi spoke, her voice was at a completely contrasting volume when compared to Sanosuke's. "Well, let's just say I wasn't thinking then. It's just…"  
            "It's just that you didn't want to think that Reiko would grow up to be a heartless manslayer after all we've done to block that out of her. And a part of you didn't want the additional responsibility of having to force Reiko to suppress killer instincts. Of course, there is also the knowledge at the back of your head that shouts out to you constantly, reminding you that the child that has suddenly been thrown into your arms…a child that comes from the man you love, but not from you. Am I right?" Sanosuke finished for her.

            "Okay, you know, that's not fair," Megumi said, annoyed. "Your comment about Kenshin was completely off. I couldn't care about him. As for everything else…how do you _know_ that?" She knew that she was a shameless liar when it came to Kenshin, but Sanosuke did not need to know.

            "You let your guard down, and I read it in your expression. And in any event, I'm not the only one who should think before he speaks. You mentioned Reiko having parents, when you know all too well that Reiko has no such thing. Kenshin is off gallivanting Kami-sama-knows-where, leaving us to raise a child that looks and acts just like him. Now, Kaoru is actually a great mom, except in May when she loses all will to live and basically just goes insane," Sanosuke said matter-of-factly.

            Shaking her head, she said, "Only you could speak of such depressing things with that sort of tone of voice…"

            "Hmmph. Let's just say I'm used to it." Sanosuke went on with the same matter-of-fact tone. "And of course, we can't overlook the fact that Kaoru just tried to kill her very own daughter because of the insanity that I just mentioned. Besides, you know that if anything happens to Kaoru, the responsibility of raising Reiko will fall to you, Yahiko, and me."

            "Yahiko?" Megumi asked, the corners of her mouth twitching with the threat of a smile.

            "He's grown up. And you never know…he and Tsubame have been awfully chummy for quite a while," Sanosuke said. For the first time that afternoon, the two adults smiled. "Of course, the last thing we need is more children added to our ever-expanding family." Megumi rolled her eyes. _Do these people think of _nothing_ else?_

            "Men."

            "Women," he countered. Megumi sighed, and they both fell silent. As the chirping of birds filled the room, she was reminded—with a sharp jab—of the night she spoke to Yahiko, right around the time Kaoru took it upon herself to end two lives. "Hey, Megumi?"

            "Yes?"

            "I hate May." Megumi chuckled.

            "So do I, Sano," she replied. "So do I."

What Megumi did not know, however, was that she was very wrong about the assumption that Reiko was behind her door, listening to their conversation. In fact, Reiko was sleeping deeply, but very turbulently. 

            _She kept seeing nothing but brief, second-long scenes. She couldn't see a single face clearly. But one thing was always present…always…_

_            Its smell haunted her, as did its color and the sounds of it dripping to the ground or flowing across it…she couldn't shake the coppery smell from her mind, nor could she stop envisioning the dark red color of this substance._

_            Blood._

_            This went on for quite some time before everything became dark and ended. The blood was no longer present. Reiko couldn't even sense a trace of it. Slowly, a scene began to form. She appeared to be in a cemetery and before her stood a man wearing a white coat with a red collar. She couldn't see his face, for his back was facing her. Reiko began to sigh, but broke off midway as she heard the man speak._

_            "You made graves for those bandits as well as your parents?" he asked. Reiko looked around. _Is he talking to me?_ She wondered. There was no one else there, so she was the only possible person he could've been talking to._

_            "Sorry?" she tried to say, but no words came out. _Okay…now I'm confused. Where the hell am I? _She asked herself._ Or, more accurately, what the hell am I?__

_            "They're slave traders, not my parents," a little-boyish voice said. So the huge man _was_ talking to someone. And judging by the fact that this person was completely invisible, he had to be in front of the man. "My parents died from cholera last year. But bandit or slave trader, they're still people. And they're dead," the little boy went on. Reiko craned her neck to try and see him, but to no avail. _Damn it. _She swore inwardly._

_            "So you made graves for them?" the man asked. Reiko heard the boy shift a bit, but he offered the large man in the white jacket no answer. "What are those three stones?"_

_            "Miss Kasumi, Miss Akane, and Miss Sakura. All three of them were sold off to pay some debts. I only knew them for a day. But since I was the only boy there, and since I had no parents, I was willing to throw away my life to save them," the boy answered. Reiko perked up. _So we have a lot in common, that we do. I have no parents, either._ She thought. The boy continued speaking. "That's why I tried to look for some good stones for them. But these were all I found. I don't even have any flowers."_

_            The man said nothing, but opened a jug he was carrying. He walked over to the stones protruding from the ground and emptied the contents of the jug out onto them. "No one should have to leave this world without knowing the taste of good sake. This is my tribute to these three," was the explanation he offered. Reiko couldn't help but smile. _Sake loving old fart…_ She thought. "What's your name, boy?" the man asked him._

_            "Shinta." Reiko froze, and the feeling that her heart had stopped beating consumed her. That was the name of Fujitaka Wakamaru's son…and also, in turn, the name of her father. But it couldn't be…or could it? Was that really her father as a child? This was _insane_. How could she have been seeing her father when he was young?_

_            "That's too gentle a name for a swordsman. From now on, your new name will be Kenshin. I promise to give you the best training I have to offer, Kenshin," the man told him. _Kenshin? Gee, after kidnapping me, you'd think the stupid son of a whore could give me proper information on my bastard father. _Reiko noted. "Come, Kenshin."_

_            "Come? Where?" Shinta—or, rather, Kenshin—asked._

_            "Your training begins today. You, Kenshin, will become the apprentice to Seijurou Hiko the thirteenth, master of the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu. And, as of today, you will call me 'Shishou'. Understood?" Hiko said._

_            "Yes, Shishou," Kenshin replied. Hiko turned, and just as Kenshin was about to turn and bestow upon Reiko her first ever glimpse of her father, everything went dark._

            And Reiko awoke, still clad in a dirt-covered gi and hakama, only with the addition of sweat all over it. (A/N: Most of the dialogue between Kenshin and Hiko in the dream was taken from an episode in the actual show. I just added the very last part and also Reiko's opinion on everything.)

            "OH, KUSO!" she swore. "I was so close to seeing him…stupid bastard. He ruins my dreams, too. So, the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu, huh? And Seijurou Hiko? That's quite a bit of valuable information, there. Now, what was his name?" Reiko thought hard, desperately trying to remember what Hiko had changed her father's name to. But no matter how hard she tried, not even a letter of the name returned to her. "Grr…how the hell is this possible?! I just heard the stupid name a minute ago!" she shouted, frustrated. Reiko jumped up and, uncaring about the events that had gone on earlier, ran to the kitchen.

            "Reiko!" Megumi chided as Reiko ran into the kitchen and skidded into her.

            "Sorry, Auntie Megumi," Reiko apologized, sitting down. "I didn't mean to."

            "You…called me Auntie Megumi…" Megumi said, sounding both shocked and flattered. _Okay…she never cared when I called her that before. I didn't know she liked that nickname. Odd Fox Lady… _Reiko thought, shrugging.

            Sanosuke eyed Reiko for a moment. It was amazing. She had undergone a complete transformation. Her eyes were completely lavender. And they weren't cold at all, but were instead filled with an innocent curiosity. Well…as innocent as your curiosity could be if two perverts helped raise you.

            "I have a question," Reiko said immediately, wasting no time. "What's the—"

            "Hold on a second, Reiko. Don't you owe us an apology for running out like that?" Megumi asked her.

            "Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, sorry 'bout that, Auntie Megumi and Uncle Sano," she said, smiling innocently but not sounding like she was very sorry at all.

            "From the way you sound, I can tell you're just saying that because you want something," Sanosuke said. But he was smiling, so Reiko could tell he wasn't at all mad.

            "Oro?" she asked. Sanosuke grabbed Reiko and ruffled her hair affectionately. To him, that word was a sure sign that the sane Reiko they all knew and loved had returned. "Ow…SANO! YOU'RE MAKING MY HAIR POOFY! STOP IT!" Sanosuke let go, but then hugged Reiko tightly. It was the first time he'd hugged her in a while, which made Reiko slightly nervous. _What have they been doing since I was asleep? Consuming some of that opium?_ She wondered. She looked to Megumi for some support, praying to Kami-sama that she wouldn't hug her too. Kami-sama answered her prayers, for Megumi was looking at Sanosuke with an expression that was indecipherable to Reiko, but Sanosuke translated it to mean "Don't get too relieved just yet." _God, she's such a pessimist._ He thought, rolling his eyes.

            "Now, Reiko, what was it you wanted to ask us?" Megumi reminded her.

            "Yeah. What is the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu?" Megumi face-faulted, and Sanosuke felt like banging his head against the floor.

            "Er…where'd you hear of that, Reiko?" Megumi asked her, trying not to look too distraught.

            "That's not important. But what is of consequence is what that is. Now, are you going to tell me or should I go ask Seijurou Hiko the Thirteenth?" she said, eyeing them coolly.

            "Yep, Reiko, you should _definitely_ become a salesperson," Sanosuke said dryly, but it still remained obvious that he was trying to steer away from their present topic.

            "If that's true then you won't be able to fool me that easily," Reiko retorted. "Now. I'll say it again: what is the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu?"

            "I don't know," Megumi and Sanosuke said in complete unison. Reiko chuckled.

            "When you two speak identical sentences at the exact same time then I _know_ you're lying. As if you could ever agree on anything," she said, scoffing.

            "Fine," Sanosuke submitted.

            "Sanosuke!" Megumi barked.

            "What? She'll find out anyway, whether we tell her or not," he snapped at her. Megumi shook her head, but said nothing more.

            "So what is it?" Reiko asked, the severity of her voice translating to mean that it was the last time she was asking and that she had better receive an answer. She already had a small idea of what it was, but she wanted to be absolutely certain.

            Sighing, Sanosuke answered her. "It's your father's style of swordsmanship. The Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu's teachings cause a person to develop skills that will never fail to slay an opponent."

            "Why am I not surprised?" Reiko mumbled.

            "Unless, of course, you use a reverse-blade sword," Megumi said, looking at Sanosuke pointedly.

            "A reverse-blade sword? What in all the hells is that?" Reiko asked Megumi.

            "Reiko! Honestly, you speak like you've had absolutely no discipline whatsoever!" Megumi snapped at her.

            "Hey…" Sanosuke said, glaring at Megumi. "_I_ talk like that."

            "So I rest my case."

            "Why you stupid fox la—"

            "So you obviously can't blame me," Reiko interrupted innocently, eager to get on with her interrogation. "It's Sano's fault."

            "You're not helping!" Sanosuke spat.

            "Yeah, whatever. Go on, Megumi."

            "A reverse-blade sword is just what it sounds like. A sword with the blade on the wrong side. A sword like that couldn't kill anyone," Megumi explained.

            "Unless you flipped it, of course," Sanosuke added, as pointedly as Megumi had earlier.

            "Shut up, Sanosuke. You know he only did it—"

            "Quite a few times for a rurouni with a vow never to kill!"

            "But you know it wasn't his fault—"

            "Man, you are a stupid wench! Your affection has locked in your senses, Megumi! How could it not be his fault if it's a part of him?"

            "Don't call me a wench, you-you-you cock head!"

            "What was that, you Ke—"

            "Shut the hell up, children!" Reiko interjected loudly. "Honestly…" She shook her head. "You fight like an old married couple. I'm surprised you haven't done it already."

            "Done _what_, Reiko?!" Megumi and Sanosuke shrieked at the same time.

            "Gotten married, of course. What were _you_ thinking about?" Reiko asked, smiling wickedly.

            "You're only supposed to embarrass Yahiko, Reiko! I have been mortally offended," Sanosuke said, feigning hurt. "And let's just say I'd rather die than involve myself with someone like Megumi in those kinds of ways."

            "EXCUSE ME?!" Megumi shouted.

            "You heard me, wench!" Sanosuke replied.

            Megumi snickered. "You'd never say that to _Sayo_…"

            "Sayo? Who's Sayo?" Reiko asked curiously.

            "The person you were about to be named after since Sanosuke here was still obsessed with her," Megumi went on wickedly.

            "Shut up, Megumi!" Sanosuke shouted, but his tone was no longer the usual one he employed when arguing with Megumi. It was much more severe. Megumi could remember only a few other occasions when Sanosuke has spoken to her like that, and Reiko couldn't remember any.

            "I'm sorry, Sanosuke. But now you know that I'm not the only one with a few hidden feelings that should be buried…" Megumi said quietly. She rose and smoothed out her kimono. Reiko watched both her and Sanosuke's movements very carefully. If there was one thing she was skilled at, it was deciphering concealed emotions.

            "Sano…" Reiko said softly, "this Sayo person…she's dead, isn't she?" Sanosuke glanced at Reiko sharply. _Yet another thing she's been able to inherit from Kenshin—the ability to read people's emotions._ Sanosuke thought. Unable to say anything, he simply nodded.

            "Well then, now that you've got your answers, I'd better be off. Oh, and Reiko," Megumi added, pausing, "I'll talk to Kaoru, okay?"  
            "Don't bother," Reiko said, every shred of ice she bore earlier returning. "I doubt she'll be in any state to care. Why are you going to see her, anyway?"

            "I'm not going to the dojo simply to see Kaoru. Gensai-sensei's sister is coming to visit, and since there isn't enough room for all of us I offered to stay with Kaoru and Yahiko for the next two weeks," Megumi explained. Under normal circumstances, Reiko would've asked to come along. But at the present moment, she had no desire to _ever_ return to the Kamiya dojo, even if it was the place where most of her memories had sprouted.

            "You know, Megumi, you don't have to go serve as company for one insane person and another who's hardly ever around. You can stay here. I don't mind…" Reiko said, but her voice was devoid of any wickedness. She couldn't help but feel that she was responsible for the abnormal hostility that had just sprung up between Sanosuke and Megumi.

            "You may not mind, but I'm sure I'll only serve as a nuisance to a certain someone who's finally discovered what it's like to have someone pry into your emotions," Megumi said coldly, slipping on her shoes.

            "He doesn't mind. Do you, Sano?" Reiko asked, looking at him with the cutest look she could muster.

            "Whatever. Just tell your friend to stay out of my way," Sanosuke said, grunting. He stood up. "Do what you want. I'm going to go waste money on sake and gambling, and I don't really give a crap about what anyone has to say about it."

            "Great, Uncle Sano. I'll go with you," Reiko said.

            "Not the way you're dressed. Do you want to be a complete embarrassment to me or something? And I don't want people saying that I've been abusing you or something. Go change, and while you're at it, ask someone to look at your wounds," Sanosuke ordered. "I'll wait for you."

            Knowing that by "someone" Sanosuke meant Megumi, Reiko took her hand and led her to her room. Once they were inside, Reiko stuck out her arms.

            "My wounds opened up again," Reiko explained simply.

            Megumi blinked. "What do you _do_ to yourself, Reiko?" she asked incredulously. "Nearly all of your wounds have opened up again! And I know this couldn't have happened because of…well…"

            "It wasn't my mom's fault, if that's what you're referring to," Reiko put in. "Let's just say that for the first time in my life, I was able to stand up for myself successfully."

            "Masashi Ikeda?" Megumi asked, grabbing a roll of bandages from a cabinet in Reiko's room. Reiko folded her arms and glared at Megumi.

            "That's not fair! How do you know that?" she asked, annoyed.

            "Sanosuke," Megumi replied briskly. "Now, let me see your wrists."

            "Um…Megumi…can I ask a question?" Reiko asked cautiously as Megumi re-wrapped Reiko's wrists.

            "Go ahead."

            Reiko felt uncomfortable asking Megumi a question such as the one that was forming on her lips, but she still couldn't help herself. "You…well…did you love my father?" she asked. Megumi looked up slowly, and once she did, she saw that Reiko's cheeks were slightly red. She smiled a smile that appeared to be rather alien on Megumi's face.

            "I did…" she admitted, "…until today."

            "Until today?" Reiko asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's changed today?" Megumi pursed her lips and offered no reply.

            "Where else do you need to be re-bandaged?" she asked instead. Reiko sighed. She already knew the answer, of course. For an eight-year-old child, she sometimes understood a great deal more than the adults around her did. And sometimes…it caused her unimaginable pain. _They're so stupid._ She thought sadly. _It's their unwillingness to forget about the past that causes them pain. Although, I must admit, I'm not one to be talking. I can't forget my past at all. I remember every minor sin I've ever committed. Ah, well, there's no use thinking about it now. I'll find some way to repent for it later._ If Reiko had only noticed that her pacifistic nature was leaking through, that would have put her mind to rest about becoming a hitokiri for the time being.

            "Er…I think the wounds on my ankles have opened up as well," Reiko answered. Once Megumi was finished treating her, Reiko walked over to the corner of the room with her clothes spread out. "Do you think it'll hurt if I wear a kimono?" she asked. Megumi shook her head.

            "I can't say you have much of a choice, anyway, when it comes to wardrobe. Your only gi and hakama are dirty," Megumi remarked. "And what's this, actually asking to dress in a kimono? I thought you hated them because they are uncomfortable and restrict movement."

            "I don't want to draw anymore attention to myself today, Megumi," Reiko said sagely. "That I most definitely do not. Two violent encounters are enough for me in one day. I'm not even going to take my bokuto."

            "Okay then, Reiko," Megumi said, sliding the door open. "Call me if you need me." With those words, she left Reiko's room.

            "What, she thinks I'm not old enough to dress myself?" Reiko mumbled to herself. A few minutes later, Reiko emerged fully clothed with her hair tied in a low ponytail.

            "Done yet?" Sanosuke called from the hall.

            "In a second, Sano!" Reiko called back.

            "Damn, women take forever to get ready," Sanosuke mumbled.

            Entering the kitchen, Reiko called, "I heard that!" She shook her head. _Men._ She thought, frowning._ Asses, every single one of them._ Reiko looked around the kitchen. Spotting what she was looking for, Reiko grabbed a kitchen knife. She inspected the blade, then tested its sharp edge with her index finger. She hastily pulled it back as it started to bleed. _I guess Sanosuke likes to keep his knives sharp. How fortunate._ She slipped the knife in her obi. Just because she wanted to be inconspicuous didn't mean that she wished to remain unarmed.

            "REIKO!" Sanosuke shouted, annoyed.

            "I'm coming!"

"Sanosuke…I still have some questions about what happened before I was born," Reiko said once they were walking toward Sanosuke's usual gambling corner.

            "You mean questions you were going to ask before you felt the sudden urge to run out of the kitchen?" he asked.

            "Er…yeah."

            Sanosuke chewed on his trademark fish bone thoughtfully. "Reiko…before we go on, can I ask _you_ a question?"

            "You just did…but go ahead and ask another," Reiko said. She looked at Sanosuke with mild surprise.

            "Not that I have any problems with it, but about everything that happened…why aren't you a bit more upset?" he questioned. Reiko looked away from Sanosuke and stared straight ahead, her eyes sad and unfocused. This sudden emotion in Reiko made Sanosuke regret that the words had ever left his lips. She had changed so much in the course of a few weeks and, frankly, Sanosuke had no clue what to expect from her anymore.

            "Sano…there are different types of pain, as well as different ways of dealing with it. One way of coping with pain is by pretending it doesn't exist, or by pretending that the incident that caused some sort of pain never occurred. Others find it easier to cry…shedding tears as if that sheds the pain as well. I used to be among that group of people, only there was seldom a chance when anyone gained knowledge of my tears. And then there are others…they are all too aware of their pain, but they aren't ruled by it. They don't cry, either, but rather move on with their life. That is the kind of person I wish to be. Only…I can't. I can't move on with my life. What he did is unforgivable. Someone like the Hitokiri Battousai doesn't deserve to walk upon this Earth. In so doing…he corrupts the very land that innocent people tread upon. I base this feeling not on all of his murder victims, but solely on how he has wronged my mother. I don't blame her for what happened. How can I? So, I will tell you right now to avoid shocking you later. I _will_ find the Battousai, and I _will_ make him pay for what he did. And as you said before about gambling and sake, I don't give a damn about what anyone has to say about it. So, as you can see, I'm not moving on with my pain. But, reverting back to my previous topic, Sanosuke…just because someone doesn't openly display their pain, it doesn't mean that the pain has affected them in a smaller measure than someone who does. So you really have no idea whether I'm upset or not," Reiko explained, scanning the expanse of land before her. Sanosuke was stupefied. This was wisdom he would never have expected to come from an eight-year-old child. _And yet…after all that's happened, she doesn't hold Kaoru responsible. You know…I have to say, I envy her. She can be angry at the true cause of her pain, not just at the person who inflicted it. She can look past Kaoru and stare her true nemesis in the eye…she can stare at _him. Sanosuke thought, his mouth a grim line. _When Captain Sagara died, I was angry with the Imperialists. I hated them as a whole, when the true cause of his death was the commanding general. And, as much as I hate to finally admit it to myself, I hated Captain Sagara for leaving me. I hated him for not listening to me when I told him to run…when I wanted to save him. I despised him for putting his pride, and his stupid _understanding_ of those bastards, before his life. And most of all, I hated the fact that he didn't fight back. He may as well have told God to save a spot in the afterlife for him, the way he handed himself in so willingly. That is, if there _is_ someone known as God._ The thin line became a frown, for Sanosuke disliked uncovering a truth about himself that was as despicable as this. _Have I condemned you, Captain Sagara?_ He wondered miserably. _Has my unprovoked hatred damned your soul?_

            "Sano…" Reiko began gently, although to Sanosuke the interruption seemed rather forceful. Despite the fact that his thoughts had originated around her, he had completely forgotten about her being right beside him. _I'm a really attentive guardian…_ He thought with an irritable sarcasm. _That Fujitaka Wakamaru bastard could've snuck up behind Reiko to finish was h—what _Kenshin_ started, and I wouldn't have even noticed!_

            "Yeah?" he asked, finally aware of his surroundings and the ground he strode on.

            "Did he…that is to say…did…did my parents love each other?" she finally blurted out. "Even just a little?"

            "I can't say much about the Battousai, but I know this: your mother loved him more than she loved life itself. She would've braved any danger to be with him or to protect him," Sanosuke replied, the smallest bit uncomfortable with having to explain that to Reiko. Reiko, on the other hand, obviously wasn't uncomfortable with hearing it, for she was chuckling.

            "The Battousai needed my mom to protect him? Wow. With a wuss like him on their side, I'm surprised the Imperialists even won the Revolution!" Reiko said, allowing her eyes to light up for the first time in ages.

            Even Sanosuke had to snicker. "You've definitely got a point there."

            "Hey, Sano?"

            "No…not another question!" Sanosuke said in an exasperated tone. "Will your inquiry ever _end_?"

            "Nope. We learn by asking questions. That's probably the only good piece of advice I've ever received from my teacher," said Reiko.

            "She seems like a wise woman," Sanosuke commented.

            "Is that why she _hates_ it when we ask questions?" Reiko asked, quirking an eyebrow.

            "…Never mind then."

            "Anyway, what's this about you not being sure about the Battousai? You knew the guy for a year and you could never tell if he liked my mom or not? You must seriously be a chicken head!" Reiko said, laughing.

            "Don't call me that!" Sanosuke shouted, kicking a nearby rock.

            "Okay. Can I call you 'Cock Head' then?"

            "REIKO!"

            "You're avoiding the question, Uncle Sano."

            Sanosuke sighed wearily. The child could never make anything easy, could she? "Okay. The truth is, I _do_ know. I just didn't want to tell you. You see, I don't believe that the Battousai loved Kaoru. She was just a possession to him, something he could use to satisfy his every whim and then discard once he grew tired of it. That's it. He never loved her, and I doubt that he ever respected her."

            Reiko was silent for the next few moments. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking, for her face remained completely impassive. _Damn, do I wish I had some of those mad Hiten Mitsurugi skills right about now._ Sanosuke thought enviously, although he wasn't quite sure _who_ he envied.

            "Sano," Reiko said curtly. "I'm going to share a view I have about humanity with you. At the heart of every single person on this Earth, there always exists some merit of selfishness. No matter how pure, kind, and compassionate someone can be, there is always a small shadow cast across their heart. That shadow is the foulness of blatant self-interest. For, when a person dies, we mourn. But we do not mourn for them. We mourn for ourselves. Our soul concern isn't that the deceased person is gone from this world. We care because they're gone from _our_ world. And that is the true nature of every human being, Sano. At the heart of the matter, we're all selfish. You can call me a misanthrope for all I care, but that is the truth I have come to notice."

            Sanosuke was forced to stare at Reiko again. Her words were flowing from her, passionate and unchecked. They were bitter words, and the most terrifying thing about them was that they made sense. They described his feelings about Captain Sagara's death perfectly. Sanosuke had grieved for his own loss, not his captain's.

            "Although…" Reiko began with a slight grin, "deceiving ourselves is always fun." Sanosuke shook his head and was about to ruffle Reiko's hair again, then thought better of it after being met with Reiko's most hostile gaze yet. Only…it was a hostile gaze with a touch of friendliness to it, and maybe even trust. "You touch the hair, Sano, and you die."

            "Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Never let it be said that just because you dress like a boy, it makes you act like one too. Because, deep down, you're _all_ female," Sanosuke said, frowning faintly.

            "You know, coming from you, I'm not sure that's a good thing. You said that like it was meant to be an insult," Reiko commented.

            "It was."

            Reiko glared. "Well, at least the sole concern of a woman isn't the price at the local teahouse," she responded bitterly.

            "Hey, I don't visit teahouses!" Sanosuke retorted.

            "Much," added Reiko.

            "Okay, that's it, you asked for it!" Sanosuke shouted, trying to grab Reiko. Reiko deftly avoided him, ducking and punching him in the stomach. Jumping back, she stuck out her tongue and proceeded to run ahead. Sanosuke followed her slowly, once again consumed by his thoughts. _That was amazing. She hit me with the futae no kiwami, that's for sure. But she hardly used any force. And it still smarted worse than the flames of Hell. I'm probably going to be bruised there. To think that such power can be emitted by someone so _small_. I was only fooling around with her…but she was doing the same to me. One thing is certain, then. Reiko must never meet Seijurou Hiko. There's no doubt that she'll end up wanting to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu to exact her revenge on the Battousai, and with power like hers…she could succeed. _Sanosuke anticipated. _And if she _does_ succeed, if she _does_ kill him, there will be no coming back. Reiko will become exactly what we all fear…she'll be no better than the Battousai. And I may be the one who's becoming a pessimist, but if Reiko leaves us and becomes a hitokiri, Kaoru will never be able to recover from it. She won't have an annual insanity; she'll have a permanent one._ And at that moment, Sanosuke came up with an idea…a way to convince Reiko to never go off and leave Kaoru. "Reiko!" Sanosuke called, jogging to catch up with her.

            "Oro?" Reiko asked, expecting the worst. _He's going to yell…but I had to show him how well I've learned his moves _somehow_…and a few seconds ago seemed like the most opportune time._ She thought.

            "Let me tell you a story."

            _Well, that I didn't expect._

            "A story?" Reiko asked suspiciously. "What kind of story?"

            "One about your parents," Sanosuke answered quickly, knowing that combination of words would be sufficient enough to make her listen. "A while ago, shortly before he left for good, the Battousai left us for the very first time since we met him. He was asked to go to Kyoto to kill someone named Makoto Shishio. At the time, he made us believe that he no longer had the will to take lives. And so, when Toshimichi Okubo came to the Battousai to ask him to go get rid of Shishio—who also happened to be his successor—we were confident that he would reject completing the task. After all, we believed he was our rurouni now, not their manslayer. That day was May 7. A week later, the Battousai went to go see Okubo and give him his answer. That answer, as you can guess, was assenting. He agreed to go kill Shishio. He willingly decided to go pour more blood into the ever expanding river of it that flows through his soul."

            "At least he doesn't dream about it," Reiko interrupted softly.

            "What?"

            "Nothing. Go on."

            "Well…he left Tokyo that day and went to Kyoto. That is where Shishio was supposed to be. And the only person he said good-bye to that day…was Kaoru. But don't be fooled, Jou-chan, and think that this was a considerate gesture. For by saying good-bye to her and then walking away, he destroyed her worse than he could've if he used his sword," Sanosuke explained. Acrimony and sheer, unchallenged _hate_ could easily be heard in every word he spoke.

            "And my mother just stood there, and watched him walk away? She let him leave, without even bothering to run after him or try to stop him?" Reiko asked, a baffled expression on her face. Sanosuke nodded. "But…why?"

            "There was another occasion when the Battousai threatened to leave us. It was before Megumi. A hitokiri from the Revolution, one who possessed the Shin no Ippo, was killing officials here in Tokyo. The Battousai was asked by the police to go and protect the man's next victim. He agreed," Sanosuke continued.

            "The Battousai was eager to help the Imperialist pigs even after the Revolution, eh, Sano?" Reiko asked sardonically. It was common knowledge for everyone who knew Sanosuke that he despised the Meiji government and the people who had established it. Reiko, upon finding out that her bastard of a father was one of them, completely agreed.

            "He was."

            "And he didn't even fear Jinei Udou, the hitokiri who became known as Kurogasa? The Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu must be very formidable, then," Reiko assumed. _Kuso__! _Sanosuke thought angrily. _My story's only going to make her want to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi and get revenge on him even more. This isn't helping me at all._

            "That, or Jinei's Shin no Ippo wasn't as formidable as you might think. Wait. How do you know about Jinei?"

            "Like I said before, I've been reading old newspapers. It's probably the only _useful_ thing I ever got out of that stupid school that mom sent me to."

            "Ah."

            "Continue."

            "The Battousai asked me to go tell Kaoru and Yahiko that he needed to stay away in order to full assess his abilities. But when I told them, Kaoru refused to sit still and let him leave. She went after him, and was present during the fight with Jinei," Sanosuke went on.

            "And did Jinei come out of the fight alive?" Reiko inquired.

            After a pause, Sanosuke replied, "No."

            "What a shock."

            "Now, that was the first whiplash that the Battousai struck Kaoru with. The second time, I suppose she just couldn't follow him. It was one wound too many. Kaoru stayed in bed for days until Megumi was able to convince her to go after him to Kyoto. When he came from the fight with Shishio, we thought that the worst was over. We assumed that the Battousai would never leave us. But he did. And this time, he happened to leave on the very same day: May 14," said Sanosuke.

            "But…how is that possible? I was born ten months later, not nine. Did he come back, or something? He did, didn't he? He came back and tried to force himself on her!" Reiko cried.

            "Calm down, Reiko. He never came back after that."

            "Then…how was I born ten months later?"

            "For that, you'll have to ask Megumi. She delivered you," Sanosuke said airily. Reiko started.

            "Me-megumi?! I always knew she had expertise in that area…but she _delivered me_?" Reiko asked incredulously.

            Sanosuke smiled. "You're not too fond of the Fox Lady, are you?"

            "I never said that. It's just strange to think about…Megumi…" Reiko said slowly. Then she shuddered.

            "Not really. In any case, we all saw you right after you were born," Sanosuke explained. Reiko shook her head.

            "Well…now, at least, I can understand why my mom chose May of all months to go insane," Reiko noted.

            "Yes. But I don't think she'd be able to stand it if another person betrayed her. Her insanity wouldn't occur once a year. If another injustice is inflicted upon her…" Sanosuke went on hesitantly, "…then I don't think she'll ever be able to come out of her madness."

            "And by this other person you mean me, do you not, Sanosuke?" Reiko asked Sanosuke, glancing at him calmly. "You think I intend to betray her, don't you?" She didn't need a response, for she was absolutely certain that this was the case. "In that case, rest assured, Sano. I have no intentions of leaving my mother to fend for herself. I am not like that bastard in any other ways besides his looks, of that you can be sure." _If only that were so, Reiko._ Sanosuke thought longingly. _Life would be so much easier._

"Okay then, Reiko," Sanosuke answered, feeling a small measure of relief at the idea that his plan had worked. _I'm sorry, Sano._ Thought Reiko sadly. _That was a lie, for the most part. I won't leave my mother to fend for herself, for she'll be with all of you, but I _will_ leave her. I have no choice. If I hope to end my own Revolution, the one that's taking place inside my soul, then I have no choice but to make the Battousai pay. And pay he will. Of _that_, Sano, you can most definitely be sure._

The walk back home was less of a burden on Reiko's mind, but not any less of a physical burden. Sanosuke wasn't kidding when he said he was going to waste all his money on sake and gambling, for that was just what he had done. And he mostly spent it on the sake. Reiko had drank some of it, and she shuddered to think of the state her "uncle" would be in had she not.

            Allowing Reiko to practically carry him on her back, Sanosuke said, "Reiko, Ah'm gonna shmack ya if Ah find out that ya drank shome of ma shake…" ("Reiko, I'm going to smack you if I find out that you drank some of my sake.") Reiko rolled her eyes.

            "In the condition you're in, I'd like to see you try, Sano," she said simply. "And how much do you freaking _eat_, Sano?! Carrying you is like taking a few trips to hell and back!"

            "Yeah, well, ya've never really taken shome of those trips, so ya wouldn't know," Sanosuke said drunkenly.

            "What's that supposed to mean?"

            "That ya have no idea what Hell feels like. Ya've never had to shee all o' your companions killed just 'cause shome shtupid asshole decided he could profit offa it," Sanosuke went on. Reiko paused for a moment. Was Sanosuke about to open up and explain exactly why he felt such fierce rage towards the Imperialists? "Why're ya shtoppin'?"

            "Because you weigh more than Yahiko after a trip to the Akabeko."

            "Damn, Reiko, Ah don' weigh _that_ much."

            "You've never carried yourself."

            "Good point."

            "Would you like to try?"

            "Nah, ya sheem to be havin' lotsa fun. Even if it ish nothing like the hell Ah went through."

            "Just what happened in this hell you speak of?" Reiko asked curiously.

            "My captain was killed…right before my eyes. Then the damn Imperialists showed his severed head and that of the other members of the Sekihoutai off like they were _trophies_," Sanosuke said resentfully. Reiko noticed that, when he spoke, he no longer sounded drunk.

            "You…were part of the Sekihoutai, Sano?" Reiko asked quietly. She knew the story of the Sekihoutai, of course. Every child born during the Meiji Era did. After all, they had wandered around, falsely promising innocent people that their taxes would be cut in half. But why would Sano have been part of such a group?

            "Yeah, I was part of the Sekihoutai. And I'll say it with pride. I feel no shame about that. The Sekihoutai was labeled the false Imperialist army on completely unfair pretenses. We were _told_ by those dirty Imperialist pigs that we were to spread the word about taxes being cut in half. When they realized that this wouldn't be at all profitable to them, the Imperialists called us liars and sentenced us to death. My captain…he didn't even fight back. He behaved like a true samurai, I guess. He dreamed of a day when there would be no superior and inferior titles and when all people would be treated equally. He wanted the oppression of the weak to stop. He must've died believing that it would. And he died in vain."

            Reiko stared at the ground as she walked, still supporting Sanosuke. She wondered how long he had kept that bottled up inside him and also why he had chosen to tell it to her then. It must've been because he was incredibly drunk…but even so. He had sobered up a bit after remembering his past, and yet he still shared it with her.

            "Why, Sano?" she asked.

            "Nani?"

            "Why did you decide to tell me about your past?"

            "Because, well, I know about your origin. So it's only fair for you to know about mine," Sanosuke replied matter-of-factly.

            "Hey, Sano?" Reiko asked seriously.

            "Hmm?"

            "Are you sober enough to walk on your own yet?" she asked pleadingly.

            "Yeah, sure." Sanosuke began to use his own two feet, taking the load off of Reiko.

            "Thank you."

            It was a rather silent walk back to Sanosuke's place of residence.

"You've recovered quite nicely, Mori-san. I would suggest staying in bed for a few days, though. In case your fever isn't completely over," Megumi told a patient of hers. "And I would avoid drinking alcohol at any cost."

            "Yes, Megumi-sama," he said, rising and bowing. "Thanks for all of your help. I really appreciate it. You're an excellent doctor."

            "Go on, you," Megumi said with a slight smile. Now, _there_ was someone who didn't piss her off to the point of wanting to shove something up his—

            "We're back, Megumi!" Reiko called. _Speak of the devil_.

            "Ah, it seems that your…daughter has returned?" Mori guessed.

            "Try friend's daughter."

            "Oh. Then is that your friend's husband, too?" Mori asked with a small smile.

            "Don't be fresh with me, Mori-san!" Megumi snapped. Then she also smiled. "That is only the idiot whose house this is."

            "Well then I better get going so I don't intrude. Thanks again, Megumi-sama," Mori said gratefully. He said his farewells to Reiko and Sanosuke, and then departed.

            "'Megumi-sama?'" Reiko repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What did you do to earn yourself that kind of title?"

            "Nothing, really. I treated him when he was stabbed after getting caught up in a bar brawl. I guess he thinks I'm a good doctor," Megumi said, shrugging.

            "Megumi, we say Kami-_sama_. You're more than just a good doctor to him. I think he likes you."

            "Don't be stupid, Reiko. He's married."

            "So what? Ever heard of adultery?" Megumi sighed and instead decided to ask her own question.

            "What happened to him?"

            "He spent all his money on sake and gambling, so I think that's why he's asleep on his feet," Reiko explained to Megumi, glancing up at Sanosuke.

            "I'm perfectly awake, thank you very much," Sanosuke grunted. "But I won't be in a few minutes. I'm off to bed."

            "Okay then, Sano," Reiko answered, glancing at Megumi pointedly. "And Megumi, being the eternally helpful doctor, will aid you in your…um…journey."

            "I'll _what_?!"

            "Reiko, you have got to be kidding! I'm not two years old anymore! I don't need to be walked to bed! Hell, I didn't even need someone to tuck me in when I was two!"

            "You shut up, Sano. It's not like you'll remember it in the morning, anyway, so just go," Reiko ordered.

            "Yes, but _I _will remember it in the morning. Why make me suffer so much?" Megumi asked.

            "You two are so immature," Reiko said in a huff. Sanosuke and Megumi shot each other weary looks.

            "Okay then, Reiko," Sanosuke agreed. "I'll let Megumi walk me to my room, but only if it'll make you shut up."  
            "I'm shutting up, that I am," Reiko answered with a triumphant little smile. And so, with Sanosuke's arm draped around her neck, Megumi helped him walk to his room.

            "So, Sanosuke, you've managed to get yourself drop-dead drunk. I didn't think you would seriously take yourself up on that idiot offer. What were you thinking?! And you better not have taken Reiko to a teahouse or a bar…I'll flay you alive if you did! You're so irresponsible, Sanosuke, that sometimes I wonder whether or not Reiko should be the one watching you! And in your drunken stupor did you ever think about what would happen if Fujitaka Wakamaru attacked?! My God, Sanosuke, sometimes I just want to wring your neck! How many times does trouble have to smack you in the face before you actually notice it and at least _attempt_ to avoid it?! You better not have let Reiko gamble or drink sake, by the way! With Kaoru insane and Kenshin wandering off without giving a damn about his unborn child, we have to take care of her! I know you don't even know the meaning of the world responsible, but you could've loosened up on your selfishness for just one night! Reiko must be suffering after all that's happened! And you decide to take her out for a night on the town even though you must've known it was wrong! What do you have to say for yourself?" Megumi lectured. But Sanosuke gave no reply. In fact, it didn't even appear as though he were listening. But Megumi knew that he was.

            So then why was he bearing all of her accusations with silence and no indications of even wanting to contradict her?

            "Sanosuke! Did you even hear a word I just said?" Megumi asked, annoyed. He continued walking in complete silence. She would've thought he had died on his feet if she couldn't feel the steady, rapid beating of his heart against her shoulder. And it was this beating that interrupted her just as she was about to voice yet another complaint. _W-why is his heart beating so fast?_ She wondered, somewhat helplessly. Then she scoffed. _I'm an idiot for worrying about him. It's probably just the alcohol. And he's not arguing with me because he's too drunk to realize that I've even said anything._

            Shaking her head defiantly, she slid open the screen to Sanosuke's room and led him to the futon. Slowly, she kneeled so that he would be able to lie down.

            But as she did, she realized that Sanosuke was still holding her arm and had pulled her down till her face was but a few inches away from his.

            "S-sanosuke, you can let me go now. You don't need my help anymore," Megumi said, somewhat shakily.

            "I'm sorry," he whispered. But as he didn't let go of her arm, Megumi knew that he wasn't apologizing for that.

            "For what?" she asked, curiosity retrieving the concerned quality from her voice.

            "For…everything. It was wrong of me to keep accusing you about him," he said, still very softly.

            "Oh God! What have I done?! Sano, you're ill!" Again, this didn't bring out the enraged response that Megumi had expected. He only smiled…a smile that had never been revealed to Megumi. There was no contempt, no bitterness, and no arrogance. And although Megumi had no knowledge of the fact, it was a smile that had not graced his face since his days with Souzou Sagara. 

            Had she traumatized him by talking about Sayo earlier? Was that why he was being so abnormally nice?

            "Megumi, I never understood your attachment to Kenshin and why you couldn't let him go, even when it became obvious that he loved Kaoru. Or, pretended to love Kaoru. But today I realized that I was doing the same thing with Sayo. She was gone and I couldn't let her go. Rather than keeping her memory, her happiness and mine close to me, I could only remember her death, and in so doing, I damned her and damned myself," he went on quietly. "I, like you, wanted something I could never have. And I didn't like being reminded of the fact that I felt that way. So I'm sorry for all the times I made you feel that way."

            "Forget the Battousai, Sanosuke. I'm not attached to him anymore," Megumi said crossly. And it was the absolute truth. After their fierce argument earlier, she had opened her eyes to reality. Megumi buried her love for Kenshin, and did not wish to speak of it anymore. She still wanted to see Kenshin desperately…to beat some sense into him after what he did to Kaoru and Reiko. "So don't apologize. I repaid you with my comment about Sayo earlier today."

            "But this isn't only an apology. It's an explanation."

            "Well, why bother?! Why now, of all times?" She couldn't help but get furious. Sanosuke wasn't behaving in his usual hot-headed manner, and it was unnerving her.

            "Why, you ask? Because a very wise person opened my eyes to something today. She made me aware of the true reason why I was always upset when people died. I was angry with them for leaving me, which is completely selfish. I cared only for what _I_ was losing. And in both the case of Captain Sagara and Sayo, I never realized just what they were worth until they were gone."

            Now something was definitely wrong, Megumi noted. Sanosuke was making _sense_. Since he loosened his grip slightly, she took the opportunity to pull back and turn away.

            "Megumi," Sanosuke called out to her softly. She slowly turned to look at him again. "I don't want to make that mistake again." He gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. Megumi stared at him with wide eyes, both in response to his remark and to how his touch had made her chest feel tight and caused her heart to beat wildly. _He _has_ to be drunk._ She thought desperately. But as she looked into his eyes, she recognized that they didn't bear the empty, glassy look of someone under the influence of alcohol. They were clear and completely honest. "I don't care if you hate me for this later, but I'll only feel true to myself if I go through with it." And using no force whatsoever, he pulled her towards him and kissed her. It was only a second later that Sanosuke realized Megumi hadn't offered any resistance at all.

            He let go and drew away from her, turning away from her before she decided to inflict serious pain on him. "And now I suppose you want an apology for that, too, right?" he proposed morosely.

            Sanosuke couldn't see it, but Megumi had a cheerful smile plastered on her face. "Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me, Sano," she said. "If you need to be forgiven for what you have just done, then I will require the same when this is all over." She bent over him and, with a small amount of hesitation, returned his kiss.

The following morning, Reiko awoke to a pounding pain in her temples.

            "Orororororo…" she murmured. It took a moment for her thoughts to gather themselves, and once they did, it took Reiko a few seconds to remember where she was. "What in all the hells is wrong with me?" she asked herself. And then she remembered. _Oh yeah…I had sake yesterday. This must be what a hangover feels like. Ow…and to think, Sano wakes up to this every morning._ Slowly and painfully, she forced herself to get off her futon. Another string of "oro"s followed this process.

            "Breakfast, Reiko," Sanosuke informed her, slightly opening the screen to her room. It took him a moment to realize that Reiko wasn't in her usual "I hate the world and hope you die" morning mood, and that her usual sullen silence was different. "Reiko?" he asked concernedly, opening the screen wider.

            "Oro…" Reiko mumbled in response to his question.

            "What's wrong? And why are you still dressed in sleeping attire?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

            "I think…oro…I think I have a hangover…" Reiko said groggily, rubbing her head. Sanosuke almost fainted with self-reproach.

            "A hangover?" he asked, both with incredulity and a slight touch of fear. "How in hell did you get a hangover?"

            "I…er…" Reiko smiled sheepishly, but said no more.

            "So you _did_ drink some of my sake. Well, that certainly explains why you're not up before dawn like you usually are."

            "I'm going back to bed," Reiko informed him, plopping herself back on her futon.

            "Oh no, you're not," Sanosuke answered, taking her by the arm and pulling her back up. "Megumi's forcing you to go to school today."

            "You have _got_ to be kidding me. I can hardly stand!" Reiko pouted. "And she's not the one who had to carry you for several kilometers since you were too drunk too walk."

            "She's also not the one who drank sake when she was underage!"

            "You're still going on about my drinking your precious sake?"

            "It doesn't matter who's going on about what. You're still going to school today."

            "No, I'm not. I'll tell Megumi that I don't feel good."

            "She'll just examine you and give you medicine."

            "Not if I tell her I have a hangover. In that case, she'll kill you and _then_ give me medicine."

            "You wouldn't dare…"

            "Would you like to try me?"

            "No."

            "Didn't think so."

            "Oh, come on Reiko, that pain is nothing compared to learning the futae no kiwami. You'll be fine."

            "Okay, fine, be a jackass. Anyway, can you please give me clothes?" Reiko requested.

            "They're right there," Sanosuke said, pointing to the other side of the room.

            "Sano!"

            "Oh, fine." He retrieved a kimono, only to have Reiko protest fiercely.

            "I'm not wearing a kimono today of all days! You think I'll even remember how to tie an obi?" she complained.

            "All right, all right. Here, then. Megumi was nice enough to wash your male clothing," Sanosuke said, handing it to her.

            Reiko sighed. "Must you call it that?"

            "It's what it is."

            "Yeah, yeah."

            Sanosuke retreated out of her room, and Reiko began to get dressed at a snail's pace.

            "At this rate, she'll miss half her classes, Sano. What's taking her so long?" Reiko heard Megumi inquire as she entered the kitchen. "And she wasn't even dressed when you went to get her for breakfast?"

            "I wasn't feeling well," Reiko answered for Sanosuke. Megumi turned.

            "What?" Megumi immediately shot Sanosuke a suspicious look. "What exactly hurts?"

            "My head," Reiko replied as he looked at her pleadingly.

            "Mmm hmm…and what else?"

            "I feel kind of nauseous…" Reiko went on. Sanosuke looked as if he was about to bang his head against the table. Megumi nodded knowingly.

            "Just how much sake _did_ you have, Reiko?" she asked casually. Sanosuke proceeded to allow his head to meet the table several times. "Stop that," she snapped at him. "Your hard head will break it."

            Reiko raised her eyebrows. _So much for my little plan.__ It looks like they did nothing but argue yesterday._ Reiko thought, disgruntled. _And I was so sure that Sanosuke's drunkenness would give way to honesty. Oh well. You win some, and you lose some._

            "Shut up, you hag."

            "Don't call me a hag, you rooster!"  
            "Oh, sorry. Would you prefer fag instead?" This earned Sanosuke a slap upside the head from Megumi. Reiko rolled her eyes.

            "Such children," she remarked. Sanosuke, rubbing his head, glared at her.

            "You're not one to talk!" he barked.

            "Oro…" Reiko said, her head starting to throb again after Sanosuke raised his voice.

            "Shut up, you," Megumi said, hitting him upside the head again. "It's already your fault she's got a headache, so there's no need for you to add to it."

            "Last night was not my fault!" Sanosuke protested.

            "Ah, and what exactly about last night isn't your fault? What happened before you and Reiko came home, or after?" Megumi asked in a drab voice.

            "…both."

            "Oh, yeah, _that's_ believable." _Um…am I missing something?_ Reiko wondered with half-lidded eyes as she watched them bicker. Shaking her head at the idiocy of the adults around her, she sat at her usual place in front of the table.

            "Can I have my rice now?" she asked.

            "I didn't make rice today."

            "So does that mean I have to cook?" Reiko asked, glowering.

            "No. I made ohagi," Megumi said.

            Sanosuke smiled. "I can guarantee your cooking skills, too, in addition to your medical skills. Still can't say much about your personality."

            "Would you like me to hurt you again?" Megumi asked, with an expression that matched Reiko's.

            "Hey, auntie Megumi?" Reiko asked, grinning evilly.

            "Yes?"

            "Why not give Sano some rice instead? I don't think he deserves your great cooking," Reiko suggested.

            "Oh, that's not fair! The only rice we have that's cooked is what Kaoru gave me _weeks_ ago. And she was the one who made it!"

            "Enjoy," Reiko and Megumi said in unison as Megumi gave Reiko her breakfast. Once she was done serving her, Reiko practically pounced on the food.

            "Wow, Megumi!" Reiko said approvingly through a mouthful of food. "This is great! Can you teach me how to make it?"

            "Of course. Although I'm sure you could make it better than I can. We all know you're a fantastic cook," Megumi answered with a smile. "And don't talk with your mouth full."

            "Sorry," Reiko said humbly as Sanosuke grunted at Megumi.

            "What? I complimented her skills, not his," Megumi told him. Even though Reiko was busying herself with stuffing her face, she didn't miss the exchange. _They should know by now that whenever they say the word "him" like that, then I'll know who they're talking about. It's sad to know that the Battousai was a good cook too. Is there anything about my personality or skills that doesn't come from him?_ Reiko asked herself agitatedly.

            "Reiko, you eat about as much as Yahiko. _Where does it all go_?" Sanosuke asked incredulously. Reiko thought about that for a second.

            "Don't ask me. It's not like it changes the fact that I'm still puny, so I eat as much as I want," Reiko replied, with a rather Soujirou Seta-like smile.

            "Ah."

            "Anyway, I'm off to school."

            "What?" Sanosuke asked in shock. "About a second ago you were about ready to throw a tantrum just so you wouldn't have to go anywhere!"

            "Well, don't discourage her," Megumi said dryly.

            "It has nothing to do with school. I just want to see if Masashi is still in one piece after the beating I gave him yesterday," Reiko answered coolly, rising. "Later." She retrieved her bokuto and set out.

"Kamiya, how nice of you to join us, even if it is twenty minutes late," Inoue-sensei said icily as Reiko entered the classroom.

            "Inoue-dono…how…er…_pleasant_ to see you whole and healthy," Reiko lied, not bothering to mask her obvious deceit.

            Inoue-sensei sighed. "Take a seat, Kamiya. Today's lesson is one that even you will fail to dislike."

            "Then you must've been planning this one for years, since not one of your lessons has be able to obtain and hold my attention for longer than ten minutes," Reiko replied with equal cynicism, but adhered to her teacher's wishes nonetheless. Glancing around the room, she noted that Masashi was no where in sight. Nudging Satoshi, the person sitting next to her, Reiko asked, "Where's Ikeda? As far as I know, he's never missed a day of school in his life."

            Satoshi looked at her with slight surprise. "You mean you haven't heard?"

            "Heard what?"

            "That someone beat the crap out of Ikeda. He had to get seriously medical attention since most of his ribs were broken. His dad decided to transfer him to another school since Ikeda refused to tell him who did it. His friends won't say anything, either. In fact, they haven't spoken to a single person all day—not even each other. Not that I'm complaining. It's an improvement over, 'Reiko is such a whore and we should all kill her,'" Satoshi explained. Noticing that Reiko looked away from him with a pained look on her face, he asked, "What's wrong?"

            _I couldn't have…I didn't know my futae no kiwami was strong enough to have that kind of outcome. What if he dies? Then I'll become a murderer, that's all. I'll be nothing more than a replica of my father. The Battousai is like a permanent disease. His vindictive blood flows through my veins and makes me more and more like him every day. Even though he's gone, he's left behind his legacy for me to, albeit unknowingly, carry on._ Reiko realized. She was interrupted when Satoshi placed at reassuring hand on her shoulder.

            "It's okay, Reiko. He's gone now and you don't have to feel guilty about whatever transpired between you two. If anything, he deserves what happened to him. And I hope he suffers some more in that new school of his," Satoshi said.

            Reiko froze. Satoshi had actually dared to touch her. She had come to the conclusion that all men, no matter their age, were selfish idiots who cared for nothing more than a way of pleasing themselves. The only two males she actually trusted were Yahiko and Sanosuke. And now a boy she hardly knew had tried to reassure her. For one thing, who did he think he was? And for another, who did he think _she_ was? An idiot who didn't already know that both his words and his gesture were false?

            "Do me a favor, Yagami," she said, pushing his hand away briskly. "Don't touch me again." Satoshi rolled his eyes.

            "You really are a man-hater," he said with a nefarious smile. As he smiled, Reiko realized that he was rather easy on the eyes. She was surprised Sora hadn't ever declared him as one of her future husbands.

            Reiko frowned. Thinking of Sora caused her anger to blaze worse than Kyoto had during the Revolution. For her own sake, Reiko decided to pretend Sora didn't exist.

            Mrs. Inoue clapped her hands to gather their attention. "For today's lesson, we will be learning about one of Japan's most recent legends. Can anyone guess who I'm talking about?"

            "I can guess all too well," Reiko murmured angrily. Satoshi heard her and was curious as to who Reiko meant, but said nothing. It was best not to get her any more irritated than she already was. _All I did was try to comfort her. Sheesh._ He thought.

            One boy finally raised his hand. "Um…the Hitokiri Battousai?" he answered tentatively.

            "Exactly, Kyone," Mrs. Inoue praised him. "The Hitokiri Battousai. He was a man who helped make Japan the nation it is today…or so we think. Because the question is, did the Battousai ever really exist? Or is he simply a legend created to cover up for the man who really did usher in a new regime?"

            "He's real, all right!" Reiko heard some boy shout out. "My dad fought on the same side as him!"

            Satoshi sighed. "Shut up, Kensuke. You know your dad never even met the man."

            "What he said. My dad actually _saw_ the Battousai once!" another boy said, the one named Akira.

            "My dad spoke to him!"

            "Yeah, well, _my_ dad knew him! He says they were good friends!"  
            "Can that guy even have friends?"

            "Yeah, Noriyoshi, he probably killed them all off for fun."

            "Well, what would any of you know? My mom told me he was my cousin's uncle twice-removed!"

            Reiko burst out laughing at that. She laughed until she was doubled over, tears streaming out her eyes. It was only a short while later that she realized her tears were that of despair, not mirth.

            "Kamiya, are you finished yet?" Mrs. Inoue asked after several silent and uncomfortable moments had gone by.

            "Yeah. I'll be fine," Reiko replied, wiping her eyes.

            "Anyway, you all think you're _so_ cool, talking about how your parents met him. _I_ saw him. He was a hired killer for the government a few years ago, and I saw him kill someone."

            "Oh yeah?" Akira asked. "Then please, by all means, share what he looked like."  
            "He had gray hair and was very tall."

            "Gray hair? How old _is_ this guy?" Kensuke asked incredulously.

            "He fought in the Revolution. He'd have to be in his late forties by now…" Satoshi replied. Reiko started, realizing that she had never bother to inquire as to her father's age.

            "What was he wearing, then?" Akira asked the boy who claimed to have seen him.

            "Er…western clothing, I think."

            "You're a moron," Akira answered. "Why would the Battousai bother wearing western clothing? So he could make himself conspicuous? What kind of 'hired killer' would want to do that?"

            "He was insane, wasn't he?" the boy answered. Reiko rolled her eyes. They all acted as if they had known him personally.

            "Hey, Reiko, who was the Battousai to you?" Satoshi asked upon noticing her vexed look.

            After a moment's consideration, Reiko replied, "Nobody."

            The time passed by at an unbearably slow and dreary pace, and Reiko found that lunch was a welcome reprieve once it arrived.

            "Inoue-sensei, I request permission to spend my lunch period in the library," Reiko said once they were dismissed.

            "Again, Kamiya? Just what is it that you're always so interested in when it comes to the library?" Mrs. Inoue questioned.

            "I like to read."

            "But you never read books, Kamiya," Mrs. Inoue went on. "You're always digging in the old newspapers."

            "So? Are you saying that people who look at newspapers can't read?" Reiko asked coldly.

            "Not at all. I am simply curious as to why a child would concern herself with matters in Japan that were taking place years before she was born," Mrs. Inoue pressed.

            "What is the answer that you want, Inoue-sensei? That I'm plotting to overthrow the government? That I'm really a spy sent by a foreign nation to send back information on Japan's affairs? Because if those are the answers that you seek, then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you," Reiko answered the unspoken question. Mrs. Inoue shook her head.

            "Kamiya, you're so mistrusting of everyone that it sometimes seems like paranoia. I wasn't asking you because I suspect you of plotting to overthrow the government. The thought never crossed my mind. It just seemed as though you'd finally found something that interested you, and I wanted to help. After all, I can't teach you anything in the school curriculum. You just don't seem to care," Mrs. Inoue explained. Reiko was slightly taken aback.

            "Well…I don't need your help, Inoue-sensei. I was sort of just looking for a way to kill time during lunch."

            "Why would you want to kill time? I saw you…you always enjoyed lunch. You had friends. What's changed? Why have you suddenly withdrawn from them?" Mrs. Inoue asked.

            "Why the inquiry, Inoue-sensei?" Reiko asked in return. "One would think you're worried about me."

            "I am."

            "Why concern yourself with me?"

            "I know we started off on the wrong foot. But I'm still your teacher, and if I can't reach you in the classroom, I can always do it in a place where you're willing to listen," Mrs. Inoue said firmly, and a little too passionately for Reiko's liking. It made her feel like she was depriving her teacher of oxygen, the way that Mrs. Inoue was spouting touchy-feely nonsense like that.

            "Okay. I _do_ have a question. I'm interested about legends of Japan and the amount of truth that is at their foundation. Today we learned about the Hitokiri Battousai, who happens to be my favorite legend. It doesn't make sense that a man would relinquish incredible power and disappear, so I've always wondered why he did what he did. Why kill hundreds of people and then hide when it's time to take credit for it?" Reiko wondered aloud. Of course, that was a lie. But she did want information on the Battousai, and if she had to cooperate with her teacher to get it, then so be it.

            "Well…I can't say I know much about the Battousai. But the way you talk, it seems as though you know he's alive," Mrs. Inoue said with a slight smile.

            "I'm pretty sure he does. Although I'm sure he's not nearly as powerful as the stories claim he is. That's just a load of stupidity invented to entertain tourists. But I do believe that the man existed," Reiko replied.

            "I see. Reiko, I, too, believe that the man existed. In fact, I know he does," Mrs. Inoue agreed. She looked down and away from Reiko's piercing stare, which caused Reiko's eyes to lighten. _What isn't she telling me?_ She wondered. _Or rather, what is she about to tell me?  
            _"Reiko…" she began slowly, once again abandoning formalities and using her pupil's first name. "I've met the Battousai before. Actually, I've only seen him before. But that one encounter was enough for me to remember him for the remainder of my life. The Battousai, you see, killed my parents right before my eyes. They were both on the side of the Tokugawa shogunate…and the Battousai was ordered to murder them." Mrs. Inoue's hands were clenched in her lap and tears were falling onto her plain, light yellow kimono. "This was years ago…I was younger than you are. But I'll never forget his face. And…this is going to sound stupid…but when I first saw you, I remembered him immediately. There's something about you that bears a resemblance to him, and that's why I was so hostile towards you on the first day. And guilt, as well as your shocking resemblance, drove me to be hostile towards you for the next few years. When you wore a gi and hakama for the first time, you gave me that same feeling for your clothes were rather like those that the Battousai wore. I half-hated you, Reiko, when I didn't even know you. And for that, I'm sorry." She looked up now.

            …only to find that Reiko was looking back at her with wide eyes. Well, that was to be expected of any normal girl. After all, she had just told the child that she resembled a hitokiri. But Reiko was far from being a normal girl. She didn't retaliate as would be expected from someone like her, nor did she glare or glower at Mrs. Inoue. She just stood there, seemingly paralyzed with some unidentifiable emotion.

            _How? _Reiko asked herself helplessly. How?_ How is he able to bring me pain without even doing it on purpose? He made my first day of school hell without realizing it. And here is yet another person whose life he crippled…whose existence he made broken. This woman looks at me and sees you, father. She sees the man who relentlessly stained his hands with the blood of her closest family. You haunt every aspect of my life, dear daddy, and for that…I'll make you regret every aspect of yours._

"Reiko?" Mrs. Inoue asked softly, cutting into her turbulent thoughts. "I understand that you're not the kind of person who can forgive anything, so I won't ask you to." Reiko opened her mouth to contradict her, but then realized that she was correct. There was a time when Reiko would've been able to forgive anything, but that had to have been at least a year prior to this…at a time when she thought her mother took an annual trip to China and when she didn't even think of who her father was or what had become of him. She was carefree, living her life day by day, never thinking ahead. 

            She was a child.

            But by now, her childhood was slowly dwindling away and being replaced not by maturity or adulthood, but by an ugly void. Only this void was more like a black hole…sucking in every single one of her happiest memories and replacing them with sheer, utter, and unchallenged loathing. She wondered how many more people led shattered lives because of the man she so resembled…the man she so detested.

            "Reiko," her teacher repeated, taking her hand. "Please, Reiko, if I destroy my unwarranted contempt for you, will you get rid of your own contempt towards me?"

            "Are you implying that my hostility towards you was unprovoked?" Reiko asked, finally speaking again. Mrs. Inoue shook her head.

            "Not at all. You have every right to hate me until the day you die. I just want to make our lives more enjoyable, for we've still got a few years together. As of today, my hatred ends. As for yours…I'm not asking for it to end. I'm asking for a truce," Mrs. Inoue explained.

            Reiko looked at Mrs. Inoue hesitantly. A truce would certainly make life easier for both of them, and for herself especially since Masashi had fled. _Feh__.__ He'd probably be too afraid to speak to me even if he _was_ still here._ Reiko noted. But without replying to her sensei, she turned from her and began walking away. How could Reiko agree to a truce? She didn't deserve to be forgiven. Her teacher had completely fathomable reasons for hating her. _I look like the man who killed her parents, and I've done nothing to make him pay for his sins. She _should_ hate me._

            "Reiko. I truly am sorry."

            At that, Reiko paused in leaving her classroom. She turned around slightly and faced Mrs. Inoue. Forcing herself to smile a smile that ended up with a bittersweet quality, she replied, "Not as sorry as I am."

            Mrs. Inoue nodded knowingly. "I understand, Reiko. You may remain hostile towards me for as long as you see fit. And I do grant you permission to use the library for the remainder of your lunch time."

            "Arigatou, Inoue-sensei."

"Okay…let's see…'Sword Techniques of the Tokugawa Era.' That might have it!" Reiko removed the book from the shelf and flipped through it. Eventually, she came across something that appeared useful. "Oh, come on! What the hell?! _One paragraph_?!" Grudgingly, she fixed her attention on the page and began reading to herself.

_The** Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu** is among the most lethal of all sword techniques. Developed by Seijurou Hiko the first, it was designed to be able to slay a group of opponents at one time with a single strike. Anyone with knowledge of the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu has never failed to slay a foe. Not much is known about this ancient sword style, but the one aspect about it that is almost definite is that in passing down full mastery of the technique, master is always murdered by disciple._

            "No…" Reiko breathed, staring at the page in horror. If what the book mentioned was true, then Seijurou Hiko the thirteenth had been killed a long time ago. There was nobody left alive who could teach her the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu—the only method she had of exacting vengeance on her father. It was hopeless, for she couldn't even learn the basics from a book.

            "What are you reading, Reiko?" a voice came, startling her. Reiko spun around and stuffed the book behind her, in between her sash and her back.

            "Er…hi, Minako!" she said upon realizing who the speaker was. Minako approached Reiko.

            "You weren't at lunch today, so I decided to see what you were up to. I see you're going back to your old habit of spending every minute of your free time in the library," Minako commented, sitting down.

            "Yes…and your point is?" Reiko asked, suspicious of where this was leading.

            "Oh come on, Reiko!" Minako snapped, suddenly angry. "I'm not one of the teachers, so you don't have to avoid me!"

            Reiko flinched at the sudden outburst. It was completely unlike Minako to shout or complain, but that was exactly what she was doing, and Reiko was the cause of it.

            "I'm not avoiding you," she answered.

            "But you're deftly avoiding the question I asked. Why are you here? I thought that after you found out the Battousai wasn't you father, you decided to stop digging into Japan's recent history."

            "Yeah, well, that's when I _thought_ he wasn't my father," Reiko mumbled darkly.

            "Wh-what?" Minako asked, raising an eyebrow.

            "I'm sure you heard me. He is my father…"

            "But…how can that be? Yesterday you said he wasn't!" Minako exclaimed. Her eyes had lit up, another thing that was completely uncharacteristic of her.

            "Well, yesterday I found out he was—the hard way," Reiko replied, slipping the book out. "And I was looking through this to find out more about his sword technique." She handed her the book.

            Minako glanced at it, but didn't bother to look through it. To her, there were more pressing things she needed to find out. "You mean to tell me that _Hitokiri__ Battousai_ is your father?! Reiko, that's-that's amazing!"

            "I can think of a lot of words to describe my situation, and amazing is not one of them," Reiko said, taking the book from her and putting it back on the shelf. "You speak out of awe because you think of the Battousai as a legend, whereas I think of him as a bastard who left my mother before I was even born. To me, you speak out of ignorance."

            Minako looked down, and Reiko could tell she had lost all traces of her excitement. "I'm sorry, Reiko," she said quietly. "I couldn't possibly understand your feelings. I have no idea about what it's like to grow up without a father, and I hope never to gain that knowledge."

            "You should also hope never to gain the experience of having every one of his victims look at you and see a mass murderer, Minako," Reiko advised.

            "I'm sorry," Minako repeated. Reiko frowned, for she was getting tired of the numerous apologies that were coming her way as of late.

            "Don't be. You didn't know what it's like, so I don't blame you," Reiko replied, forcing yet another smile and wondering why that simple action was proving so difficult.

            "Don't lie to me with that smile," Minako said. "I know it was forced. But then again, I haven't seen you smile for a while…"

            "Yeah, well, I haven't had much to smile about for a while. But I forgive you for your ignorance." This time, Reiko smiled a truly genuine smile, one that was even able to add a bit of joy to her eyes.

            Minako hugged Reiko and mutter a quick "thank you." She looked as if she wanted to ask more, but at that moment, Satoshi ran into the library.

            "Reiko! I've looked all over for you! Inoue-sensei sent me to tell you that lunch is over and you better get to class," he announced. Reiko was about to protest, but Satoshi grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Bye, Minako!" Pulling Reiko along with him, he ran from the room.

            And so Reiko discovered another thing to protest.

            "Y-yagami! Who in all the hells do you think you are?! You can't just drag me around like a dog on a leash!"

            "Would you have come otherwise?" he asked without glancing back.

            After a moment's hesitation, Reiko answered, "Probably not."

            "Exactly."

            "But you can let go of me now!"

            "Nah, I'd prefer to have you squirm a bit more. Since you seem to hate me so much!" he answered cheerfully.

            "YAGAMI!"

            Back in the library, Minako stood with a bemused smile on her face. "I think…" she began slowly, rising, "I think Reiko's finally found herself a comrade with wits to match her own."

Silently, her eyes fixed on the earth, Reiko trudged on the cherry blossoms that littered the ground. The time from lunch to the end of school had been unbearably painful for her. Mrs. Inoue had forced them to write brief stories on what they would imagine an encounter with the Battousai would be like, and each one had been more blithely simple than the last. "I would ask him how he felt when he won the war." "I'd shake his hand and thank him for protecting everyone who wasn't on the side of the Shogunate." And, of course, there was the ever popular: "I'd tell him that he was really cool and that I want to be just like him!"

            Her classmates made her sick. None of them seemed to realize that the Hitokiri Battousai was a hardened killer, someone who would stab them in the gut before they had a chance to say hello if he found out that they knew his identity. The smartest thing for them to say would be that they'd run from him, with their tails in between their legs, and never look back! But none of them could fully understand that the Battousai was not the man they thought he was, that he wasn't some war hero who had fought for what he believed in and had killed to save Japan. He was simply an assassin who decided to use his skills with a sword as a profession. As far as Reiko could tell, there was nothing noble about taking the lives of people you didn't even know.

            In fact, the only person whose answer she didn't absolutely detest was Satoshi's. He said that he would simply avoid the Battousai, pretend that he did not really know his identity, lest he would add wood to the spark that was an assassin's bloodlust.

            And suddenly, Reiko was hit with a wave of light-headedness. Her knees felt weak and she was forced to lean on a nearby tree to keep from falling. Slowly, her nausea began to subside. But it returned full-throttle as a singly cherry blossom landed on her outstretched arm. With it came an image of hundreds of dead bodies, all littering the ground as abundantly as the cherry blossoms did. And…of course…she could smell _it_ and hear its infuriatingly steady dripping.

            She knew that she was amidst blood, and that this blood belonged to her father's victims. Why else would she be awash in it when she was thinking of nothing but hate for her classmates and for him?

            The images began to disappear, being replaced by reality. _What was that?_ She wondered. _He's going to haunt my daily existence too? Oh, I hope he's not dead. I want the pleasure of killing him myself!_ Reiko began to run towards Sanosuke's home, but then slowed down to a fast walk as she realized something. _You're turning into him, you fool,_ a voice inside her head told her._ You have a thirst for vengeance, a thirst that can only be satisfied by his death at your own hands._ Reiko shook her head fervently. _I'm not like him. I have a reason for hating him, a reason for wanting him dead and wanting to do it myself. That reason is what he did to my mother and how he robbed so many people of their happiness._

            Without noticing it, Reiko had unintentionally run into a very large figure. Whoever he or she was, Reiko didn't have enough force to knock them down, so she herself was thrown onto her back.

            "Ow…" she mumbled, rubbing her head.

            "You should watch where you're going, brat," the man said angrily, glaring down at her. Reiko stared at him wide-eyed, for there was no mistaking the voice that accompanied the white, red-collared cape that the man wore.

            "Seijurou Hiko…" Reiko breathed.

WHOO! Another chapter is complete! I'm sorry this took me months to get done, but I've been pretty busy lately. Damn teachers…I swear, they haven't even finished grading one project and already have the sheets printed out for a new one! And I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit…unprofessional…but since I was writing this over a long period of time, I had mixed feelings throughout it. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out sooner, but for now, enjoy the nice lengthy-ness of this one! ^^ I'm hoping the length (and the quality of the fic too, of course) will compensate for the amount of time it took to get this done.

Please review! I do accept flames, but be warned that they are sent back to whoever wrote them. (Ever heard of karma?) I do, however, keep a few to use on our dearest mummy dude! (holds up pitchfork and looks at Shishio evilly)

Shishio: Hey! That's mine!  
JK (laughing evilly): Oh, you won't be needing it.  
Happy Beauty Yoshimi (aka Evil Authoress or whichever other name you might know her by): Yep…all the stress has finally gone to her brain. HELL IS MINE TO RULE, I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW!

(JK pauses in chasing after Shishio to stick her tongue out at Yoshimi.)

Yoshimi: OH THAT'S IT! (chases after JK)

Sanosuke: You know, I'm starting to think that women are—

Kaoru: (has a pan an inch above Sanosuke's head) Don't even think about it.


	7. Healing the Burns

The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 7: Healing the Burns 

JK: Hi, all! I'm back with another chapter of "The Fires of Vengeance"! Who missed me?  
(Cricket sounds fill the room.)

JK (while laughing sheepishly): Thanks for the support. Now…I've decided to bring back those nice author's notes that exist solely for comic relief. Hope no one minds.

Happy Beauty Yoshimi (dryly): Yeah, we don't mind them at _all._

JK: Hey, you should be hailing me. These are your three lines of spotlight. It's the time you have to preach about how sake is bad for you when you're really attempting to steal it all and then get hopelessly drunk.

Kaoru: Been there, done that.

Sanosuke: Wasn't that the time she nearly told Kenshin she was head over heels in love with him?

Kaoru: I WHAT?!  
Hiko: SHE WHAT?!

Kenshin: ORO?!

Megumi: Yo, Rooster-Head, you should be more careful with how you throw around random phrases such as that and illuminate what should've been a period of character development!

Yoshimi: Duh…what did she just say?  
(Everyone, save for Megumi, shrugs.)

Megumi: It should've been a make-out scene, all right?! And now Sano exposed that!

Hiko: Well in that case…weird insane sadistic girl who's trying to steal my sake! GIVE IT BACK!

Yoshimi: Psh. And _why_ would I do that?

Hiko: Simple. I need it. If my idiot apprentice can get himself a girl by getting her drunk, then that is _obviously_ what I have to do. I mean, I'm in my forties and I'm not married yet!

Sanosuke: You've got a point there. I mean, even Saitou was able to land himself a wife!

Kenshin: I wonder when he managed that…being a member of the Shinsengumi and a cop must've taken up a lot of time, after all.

Yoshimi: I can explain that! He got her drunk! Who would marry that guy otherwise? And, of course, sake is the universal substance of misery and we—

JK: Your three lines of fame are up, Yoshimi.

Yoshimi: What are you talking about?! I haven't convinced anyone that sake is bad for you!

JK: You weren't doing that well a job anyway.

Hiko: So…does this mean I can get my sake back?

Yoshimi: NO!

Hiko (twitching): Stop depriving me!

JK: Don't worry, Hiko. You get to drink lots of sake in this chapter!

Hiko (brightens immediately): You mean I'm more than a one-line character in this chapter?!

(JK nods.)

Hiko: HELL YES! SAKE, HERE I COME! Am I married?

Kenshin: Shishou, you're a hermit. I don't see how you were expecting to get yourself a wife without the use of sake, which you apparently didn't know you _could_ use for such a purpose until approximately three minutes ago.

Kaoru: Wow, Kenshin. That's the longest monologue from you for the past…four chapters!

Hiko: Shut up, baka deshi. I, at least, would not leave my pregnant…Raccoon Girl…as I set off to go gallivanting across Japan and save the lives of people who don't stop to thank me anyway.

Penny, Angel of Darkest Dreams: Is the "Raccoon Girl" thing a running gag in this or something?

JK: Apparently.

Kenshin: THAT'S NOT TRUE! THEY DO THANK ME!

Sanosuke: Ah! So that means you admit to leaving Kaoru even though she was pregnant! Everyone knows my reason for hating you now!

Kenshin: Wait, that's not what I—

JK: Yes, I noticed that there was some confusion about the last chapter and why Sanosuke has such a deep loathing for Kenshin. So I have decided that it will all be explained in this chapter. (uncharacteristically hyper smile)

Yoshimi: Yeah, right.

JK (slightly annoyed but still smiling cheerfully): Shut up, Yoshimi.

Yoshimi: Why are you so happy? It's not like you.

JK (after sighing): I'm imitating Soujirou, okay?  
Yoshimi: SETACHKA! (glomps JK)

JK: Oof.

Penny: I am so proud of myself for not being involved in this stupidity. (smiles happily)

Seta: You should be. And to think, these people control our lives in this fic. (shakes head) They're crazy, mm hmm, mm hmm.

Yoshimi: ACTUAL SETACHKA! (glomps Seta mercilessly)

JK: I can breathe again!

Kenshin: But I don't think the same can be said for Soujirou…he appears to be turning purple.

JK: Yoshimi, lay off Soujirou-san.

Yoshimi: Oh, come on. If I can't have sake, can't I at least have Setachka?

Penny and JK: NO!

(Yoshimi sticks out her tongue.)

Hiko (to Kenshin, while sipping the sake he stole from Yoshimi while she was distracted with Seta): This would be an opportune moment for you to intervene and earn some favor with the authoress.

Kenshin: Oro?  
Hiko: Get Seta away from Yoshimi, fool!

Kenshin: What would that do me?

Hiko: Well…for one thing, JK would like you a lot more for preventing Yoshimi from hogging all the bishounens.

Shishio: What do you mean, all the bishounens? I'm still available!

Kamatari: You mean Yumi died?! YES! FINALLY! (glomps Shishio)

Penny (to JK): There seems to be a lot of glomping going around…

(Kenshin proceeds to separate Yoshimi and Soujirou, much to Soujirou's obvious relief.)

Yumi: (grabs one of Kaoru's rice balls and smashes it on Kamatari's head, knocking him out) Hands _off._

Kenshin: Those things have got _some_ kind of power!

(Kaoru glares at Kenshin fiercely.)

Kenshin: Oro.

(Aoshi enters the room.)

Aoshi: Has anyone seen my tea?

All: AOSHI SPOKE!

JK: It's the apocalypse! (grabs Kenshin's sakabatou and goes to auction it off on Ebay while there's still time) Don't own that, by the way.

(Penny glomps Aoshi.)

Penny: YAY! I feel better now!

Aoshi: …

Penny: ¬.¬

(Yoshimi, meanwhile, glares fiercely at Kenshin.)

JK (after returning with a pretty thick wad of cash): Anyway, onto a more serious note. My friend Jenrya asked me why Reiko was so disrespectful. The answer is that it's more of a façade to cover up the fact that Reiko feels like she's been living a lie, not knowing that she was the spawn of the Battousai the Manslayer.

Kenshin: Spawn? What am I, a frog?

JK: Moving on…she's also in immeasurable pain, only she's buried it and convinced herself that she's fine. It's also changing her personality quite a bit, which will become more visible as the story progresses. But in truth, even though the disrespect she shows is very thick, Reiko still cares for everyone.

Yoshimi (gagging): Aw…how touching. Can we get to the blood or at least some more romance?

JK: Okay, okay. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or the reverse-blade sword I just sold! It's all property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, the genius who came up with this series.

(Yoshimi looks bored.)

JK: …and the bishies in the series.

(Yoshimi perks up.)

JK: And without further ado, I present you with chapter seven! Enjoy.

As soon as the words escaped, Reiko immediately regretted uttering them. _Seijuro__ Hiko the thirteenth! Hah! As though the Battousai would actually break tradition and stifle his blade, allowing his mentor to live. According to that book, disciple murders master in the history of Hiten Mitsurugi. It's part of succession. My damn hallucinations have got my imagination running amok, _Reiko thought, rising to her feet and commencing to brush herself off. And yet…his voice, his appearance, his mannerisms…somehow, they echoed the man Reiko had only seen in her dreams.

Seijuro Hiko the thirteenth had not been happy to begin with. On his way to Tokyo, he had wandered off course a total of three times. He had spent several days without food, for he had left his sack carelessly unattended to as he bargained with a street vendor on the most reasonable price for a jug of sake. Needless to say, the enticing sack of food and money did not remain "unattended to" for long. _I really am getting old,_ he thought disconsolately at the time. _Tch__.__ As if the damn gray hairs haven't already assured me of that._ Hiko now regretted not having been to Tokyo since it was still known as Edo. But even with his lack of navigational skills, he had still expected walking to Tokyo to be a rather fulfilling, and perhaps even strengthening, experience. After all, his baka deshi had partaken in such an endeavor numerous times.

          Of course, few things in life that are blissfully planned actually follow that blissful plan. The trip hadn't turned out to be a nice little stroll through a field of daisies, as had been expected. It had been a trip full of annoyances, revelations, and sobriety. Indeed, Hiko's passage from Kyoto to Tokyo had been nothing short of a stroll through the corridors of Hell. And now some sniveling whelp had spent a full twenty seconds staring at him as though he were one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse! (A/N: Yep…I seem to like that word now. sweatdrops)

          In short, he had gone from unhappy to downright pissed off in seconds.

          "What?!" he snapped. The child rose, and Hiko could easily discern her gender. She put a meticulous amount of effort in concealing her chest, which her loose gi would have otherwise blatantly displayed. He diverted his attention from her body and looked at her face, and what he saw nearly made him blanch in shock.

          The girl was a replica of someone he knew all too well. Her bluish-lavender eyes glittered with a trace of arrogance, an arrogance few would allow to grace their eyes in Seijuro Hiko's presence. It was the same arrogance that had overpowered that someone's judgment years ago, the arrogance that had cost him his innocence and naïveté. Hiko also took into account her thick, puffy black hair, arranged in the same style as that of that someone when he had seen him last.

          There was no mistaking it. She was the daughter of Kenshin Himura.

          She offered no answer to his previous question, so Hiko decided to voice another. "What's your name, child?" Again, he was met with a steely silence and a penetrating gaze. _It's as though she's weighing and measuring me, trying to decide if I'm worth her time, _he thought. _She doesn't seem to believe I deserve an answer from her, that's for sure. Perhaps I've already been declared unworthy in her eyes. _Hiko sighed. _She seems to know who I am…but she doesn't pay me the respect that is due to the thirteenth master of a sword style with which I could chop her head off faster than it would take her to blink. _Sighing once again, he turned away from her. _If my analysis of her personality is correct, she won't let my turning my back to her go by without a response._

          And Hiko couldn't have been any more correct about whether Reiko would choose to respond, nor anymore wrong about his character analysis. True, Reiko was slightly arrogant. But she hadn't been weighing, measuring, or declaring anyone unworthy.

          She had been plotting how to approach him. After all, she was stranded in the middle of a very delicate matter, one that could possibly decide the path her life would take. It was not an occurrence that could be dealt with lightly. _There's no way that this man _isn't_ Seijuro Hiko. He looks like, sounds like, even acts like the man in my dream. He _is_ the thirteenth master if the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu. _Reiko concluded. _And now…the question is: Why is he still alive? Tradition dictated that the Hitokiri Battousai should've killed him in order to become the _fourteenth_ master of the technique. The only logical explanation for his existence if he is indeed Seijuro Hiko the thirteenth—which happens not to seem all that logical—is that my father never mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu._

          Likely fed up with the cloak of ice Reiko now donned, the man began walking away. Not wanting to lose such a golden opportunity when fate had so conveniently presented it to her, Reiko said her first comment since her shocked utterance earlier.

          "Seijurou Hiko…" she drawled. The man stopped short. "Ah, so that _is_ your name."

          Hiko turned around and eyed her coolly. "And who might you be? I didn't know that I had attained fame in the hearts of sniveling little brats," he said simply, unfazed by her comment.

          Reiko smiled slightly. "But you must've noticed that I am not just _any_ sniveling little brat. After all, I look too much like my dear daddy for it to go by unnoticed," she said calmly, twisting his insult to fit her own purpose.

          _Well, this is odd. She speaks of my baka deshi as though she hates him._ Hiko noted, slightly disconcerted. But even as the thought played out in his mind, Hiko said nothing and just blinked at Reiko.

          "You know the man of whom I speak, Hiko-san. Do not attempt to deny that. How could you not? You helped shape the person he is today. You took the child he once was and turned him into a killing machine…_your_ teachings turned Shinta Himura into the Hitokiri Battousai," Reiko said with a slight hint of accusation in her voice. "But don't misinterpret what I meant, Hiko-san. I hold you not in contempt, but in reverence. It takes skill to cause that sort of transformation." She smiled bitterly at her own words. _I hold you in reverence, that I do. But I am not grateful to you for handing my father his first sword,_ she thought, looking down at her sandaled feet. _Aw, pull yourself together, Reiko! How the hell are you going to exact revenge on him if thinking about the man he could've been and the life you could've had makes you pity yourself?!_ A voice inside her mind scolded.

          Hiko, still standing with his back facing Reiko, let out a wry chuckle. _If you only knew the true story of that half-wit's transformation…_ He thought, resuming his departure.

          Reiko silently began to fume. The man was obviously paying her no heed! Could she have been wrong? _No,_ her mind shouted at her, _this _is_ the man you had so wanted to meet._ Reiko scoffed at that. This was also the man who had so enjoyed hearing her talk to herself…but, then again, if he wasn't in the mood for conversation now, Reiko had no objections to waiting until it was convenient for him. She stood immoving until he had walked a short distance away and then began trailing him.

Reiko yawned. Her pursuit was becoming utterly tedious. The man hadn't stopped for a moment since he began walking, and Reiko was sure they had passed the tree stump she now stood next to at least three times. _He must have realized that I am trying to follow him, _Reiko realized, _and now he's trying to shake me off his trail. Well, I can't say he's doing a sufficient job. It doesn't seem like he even knows where he's headed._ Abruptly, the man Reiko had identified as Seijuro Hiko stopped. _Well it's about time,_ she thought dryly.

          "Well, you can come out now," he snapped, glancing in her direction. "I know you're there, you three-foot-tall annoyance."

          With the most spiteful glare she could muster, Reiko came out of hiding and grudgingly said, "I was wondering when you'd find the place you were looking for, you sake-loving old fart."

          "I'm _still_ wondering about that," he responded, choosing to ignore her choice of titles for him, as well as the ever-growing urge to drop-kick her several cities away.

          "So…" Reiko said tentatively. "You knew I was following you the whole time?"  
          Hiko scoffed. "Please. You have a pathetic amount of ki, but even someone like you should've been able to hide it. You have a wooden sword strapped to your waist. Hasn't anyone taught you the meaning of stealth?" he said airily. Reiko blinked.

          "It was my ki that gave me away?" she inquired slowly. _I didn't even know that someone could be located by those types of means! The Kamiya Kassin ryuu never mentioned being able to sense someone else's ki!_ Reiko thought, shocked. _Or…maybe no one has bothered to teach me that yet. After all, my mother's been a tad busy…and Yahiko probably has his own lessons to deal with._

          "That, and the fact that you have no idea how to trail someone. Even a person who couldn't locate your pitiful amount of swordsman spirit would've been able to hear the numerous twigs you stepped on while following me," Hiko replied, sitting down on a nearby boulder. "You have obviously not inherited my baka deshi's covertness, child." At that statement, Reiko felt like hopping around because it indicated that she had been right after all. She decided against it, however, once she pictured how utterly undignified and simple she would look when partaking in such an action. She did, however, climb up on a boulder situated close to where Hiko sat.

          "So you're finally admitting to being my father's mentor!" she said triumphantly.

          Hiko rolled his eyes. "I'm only doing that because I see this as a desperate situation," he stated simply.

          "What's that supposed to mean?"  
          "It means that I'm not telling you anything more unless you tell me where I could find the cheapest inn in Tokyo," he replied.

          "I am neither a map, nor an employee of several brothels in the city. I know of only one inn, and I never bothered to inquire as to price ranges," Reiko said coldly.

          "Well…I am neither a walking biography nor a rich man, so unless I benefit from this as much as you do, you're not getting any more information out of me." Reiko heaved a sigh. There was nothing that she could think of in response to his comment, and she knew they were at a stalemate.

          "I'll take you to that inn, but I'm not promising a fair price there," Reiko gave in. "I do, however, want you to answer a few of my questions." Hiko must not have heard her, for he jumped up and began jogging in the same direction he had been walking before. He seemed to have an abnormal amount of energy for someone his age.

          "Don't just stand there! Lead the way!" he called back to Reiko. Reiko stared at his diminishing back with half-lidded eyes.

          "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY, YOU SAKE-LOVING OLD FART!" she shouted at him. Hiko stopped short, and then proceeded to walk towards her. As he passed by, he slapped her upside the head. "What the hell was that for?!" she shrieked.

          "Don't call me old," he mumbled, not even stopping to view her reaction. Reiko shook her head wearily. This was not turning out the way she had planned at all. Running past him, she thought, _He certainly acts just like the way I imagined he would…which is not at all a good thing. A man like him would never willingly teach an eight-year-old _girl_ the secrets of Hiten Mitsurugi. Then I'm afraid I'll have to assure him that I am different from any girl he has met thus far in his life._ The fire in Reiko's eyes danced mischievously. _Oh and _how_ I will assure him of that…_

Satoshi Yagami stood bent over, his palms on his knees and gasping for air. "Damn…" he murmured weakly. "Didn't…think…it…would be this hard." He bent down to pick up his fallen sword, and then forced himself to stand. "I'll just have to try again." He gripped his sword tighter and faced the metal post he was using for practice…

          …only to discover that the most imposing man he had ever met in his life was standing before it.

          "Otou-san," Satoshi greeted, wiping his brow. (A/N: Otou-san is the Japanese term for "father.")

          "Don't greet me and behave all innocent! What, may I ask, are you doing to our yard?" his father snapped.

          "Practicing," he answered.

          "And practicing involves trying to dent the lamp?" Satoshi's father questioned wryly.

          Satoshi glanced down so that his father wouldn't be able to notice his fervent glare. "I was trying to do more than just _dent_ it," Satoshi snapped.

          "Ah…so you were trying to dismantle my property. Very good, Satoshi. Your training is over for today," Mr. Yagami announced. Satoshi looked up swiftly.

          "What?! Dad, that's not fair! I've only been practicing for a little over an hour!" he protested.

          "Don't argue, Satoshi. You should not have been using the adornments for our yard to practice at all," he replied calmly. "Into the house."

          "Dad! There's no way I'll ever master swordsmanship unless I practice!" Satoshi went on pleadingly. "Just a little longe—"

          "You insolent whelp!" his father interrupted furiously. "You know that this _post_"—he waved at it with his hand—"was far from cheap! I'm fed up with you using anything and everything for your 'practice,' Satoshi! Get inside the house now and start on your schoolwork!"

          Satoshi sighed. "I don't have any. We just spent the day learning about the Battousai," he explained.

          "So now they're teaching you swordsmanship at school," his father said wearily. "What _am_ I going to do with you? Why didn't you want to attend a more prestigious school rather than that dump?"

          His son, rolling his eyes as he picked up his fallen sheath to cover his sword, barked, "Because I didn't want to spend my days with a whole bunch of arrogant fools who like to compare the amount of money their parents make in a week!"

          "Get used to it, Satoshi. You're going to be dealing with money quite frequently when the time comes."

          "If you think I'm taking your place as some hotshot politician, stamp the idiot notion out of your mind _now_, Father!" Satoshi retorted. His father looked away, and he could discern the disappointment in his eyes all too simply. _It's obvious I'm not the one he wants to become his heir. He's just obligated to give me that title because I'm his oldest son,_ Satoshi thought silently. _And about that…_ "Does Hideki need help with his work today? I'd be more than happy to help him now, since I have nothing better to do anyway."

          "Yes, your brother was asking for you a few minutes ago. Go clean yourself up and see him, Satoshi," Mr. Yagami ordered.

          "Sure," Satoshi replied, uttering his first agreeable sentence since their conversation began. He dusted off his black gi and white hakama, and then turned to head to his brother's room.

          "I meant change your clothing, Satoshi," his father remarked tiredly.

          "Oh. All right."

          "And don't start sparring with Hideki while I'm gone."

          "I wasn't going to, but thanks for the idea!" Satoshi called back.

          "SATOSHI!"  
          "I was just kidding, old man!"

          "SATOSHI!"  
          "I was kidding about the 'old man' thing as well."

          "Good. Off you go." Walking away from his father, Satoshi couldn't help but wonder why his life had steered onto such a path. Ever since his mother's death, his father had become obsessed with training Satoshi in political matters and preparing him to one day take his place. It was only after his mother's tragic demise that Satoshi had taken up swordsmanship. After all, of what use was he if he didn't even have the power to protect one person from the cruelty that so many were capable of? He continued walking as the image of his mother's cold, lifeless body and the pool of blood it lay in occupied his thoughts. Satoshi shook his head. _I shouldn't think about her like that…it always brings me close to tears. I'll find some way to avenge your death, mom. And until then, I won't show my weakness. I won't cry. I _refuse_ to cry,_ he thought, although his thoughts were directed more at himself than his mother._ I wonder…what does Reiko have to do once she comes home from school? _He didn't know why his thoughts tended to focus on her so much…it was perhaps the fact that she seemed about as lonely as he felt, despite his many friends at school. _I hope she's at least permitted to practice swordsmanship freely. And I know she lied about how she got those wounds…_

"Well, here we are. The Ishimori Inn. Welcome to my friend's humble abode," Reiko announced as they halted in front of the inn Minako's family ran. Hiko stood silently for a moment, taking in the rather impressive looking establishment, before rounding on Reiko.

          "I thought you said you'd take me to an inn I could afford!"

          "Actually…all I said was that I'd take you to the only inn I knew, and this would be the place," Reiko answered with a shrug. "And you still haven't upheld your end of the bargain, Hiko-san…"

          "I'll uphold my end of the deal once you uphold yours, Himura-san," Hiko replied with a false smile. At the words, "Himura-san," Reiko winced noticeably.

          "My surname is not Himura," she said distastefully. Hiko blinked.

          "It…isn't?" _My god, is there _one_ tradition that my baka deshi doesn't enjoy breaking?!_ He wondered.

          "No."

          Hiko intended to inquire as to what it actually was, but one of the residents of the inn must've heard the noise outside and decided to inspect what was causing it, so he was interrupted as he prepared to speak.

          "Reiko-chan!" someone called. Reiko looked away from Hiko and saw Minako running towards them with a pad of paper clutched in her hand and waving with her free one. "What brings you here?"

          "Hello, Minako," Reiko greeted. "I've come here to show my…grandfather…a nice place to stay, since he can't stay with us." If looks could kill, the glare Seijuro Hiko shot at Reiko would've made her drop dead in an instant.

          "Silly girl," he said with a forced smile, hitting Reiko on the head slightly. "I'm her uncle," he added to Minako.

          "Oh. Mother's brother, or father's?" Minako asked. To anyone else, it would've seemed like an entirely normal question, but Reiko knew the real motive behind it.

          "Fa—"

          "Mother's," interrupted Reiko quickly. "So, Minako, just how much does it cost to stay here?"

          "That all depends on how long someone intends to stay," she answered, and looked up at Hiko expectantly.

          "I don't know…a few weeks?" Minako removed the brush that was sticking out of her obi, as well as a small vial filled with a black liquid.

          "You've come prepared, that you have," Reiko said with a smile.

          "This makes taking down people's orders much simpler. I don't have to remember what they order," Minako replied, commencing to write a bunch of numerical figures on her paper. "Now…let's see…" Reiko watched Minako calculate a few values and then jot them down in the upper-left corner of the sheet of paper. "These are the prices for each number of weeks you might wish to stay," she explained, handing the paper to Hiko.

          Hiko accepted the paper, and looked down at the values. After a second of…delicate consideration, Hiko looked at Reiko with half-lidded eyes. "Reiko-_chan__­,_ do I look rich to you?"

          "Not at all, _Uncle_ Seijuro," she answered with a wry smile.

          "Then you can't expect me to stay here, dear child." Hiko handed her the paper. Reiko glanced at it, and the prices made her eyes bulge out in shock.

          "Damn, Minako! With fares like those, you people should be millionaires!" she exclaimed. Minako chuckled.

          "We sometimes make exceptions. I'm sure we could reduce the prices considerably for your uncle," Minako said. "Follow me." She led the way inside the inn. "Kaa-san! We have new customers!"

          "Kami-sama, Minako! Please tell me you weren't outside begging people to stay here like you did when you were a child," her mother said wearily, sliding a door shut behind her as she entered the reception room. "Remember the man whose leg you latched onto and begged to marry you when you were…what was it? Four?"

          "Okaa-san!" Minako shrieked, blushing. Reiko couldn't help but laugh—lady-like, dignified Minako hugging a man's leg and asking him to marry her at the age of four? It was a comical image to behold, to say the very least.

          "What was his name, Minako?" Reiko inquired.

          "I…well…never asked."

          "You asked him to marry you before asking his name?"

          "I was young and stupid, all right?!" Hiko cleared his throat, interrupting the "friendly" exchange between the two girls. "Oh, yes. 'Kaa-san, this is Reiko's uncle. He wants to stay in Tokyo for a bit, but Reiko's mother is away in China and her Uncle Sano's house apparently has no room…"

          "Say no more, Minako," Mrs. Ishimori said, turning away from Minako and facing Hiko. "We always let friends and family stay for half price."

          "Well there you go, Uncle Seijuro," Reiko said happily. "I'm sure you have enough money when they cut it in half." Hiko nodded, thanking the gods that he hadn't left _all_ of his money in his sack.

          "Well then, I'll help you get settled in, sir. Minako, you have potatoes to peel. Reiko-chan, you can help her," Mrs. Ishimori said, ushering Reiko and Minako into the kitchen.

          "Sorry about that," Minako said sheepishly, "but my mother likes to give work to every free pair of hands she sees when we're short-handed. A few of our workers didn't show up today, so we've been extremely busy."

          "It's all right. I'm used to having plenty of chores to do, so peeling a few potatoes is no problem."

          "Okay then." Minako handed Reiko a standard kitchen knife and sat down in front of a basin of potatoes. "When you're done peeling a potato, just put it into the bowl of water right there." Reiko nodded and sat down beside her.

          "So…how's my good friend Sora doing?" Reiko asked sarcastically.

          "I wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to her since that time she called you…well…we know what she called you."

          "Why haven't you talked to her? Is it because of what she said to me?"

          "Of course! I was astonished! But then again…Sora's been changing at an alarming rate over the past few months," Minako said thoughtfully.

          "Are you referring to her new-found obsession with boys?" Reiko asked.

          "Yes." Reiko shook her head.

          "My, she's an idiot. You've got to be brain-dead in order to actually _like_ men! Honestly, the only thing any of them care about is how many women they can—"

          "Reiko, let's not finish that sentence," Minako interrupted lightly.

          "Sorry," Reiko said.

          "And Sora wasn't very happy when Satoshi and his friends crowded around you and were practically hailing you," Minako pointed out. "She told me all about it."

          "They were interested in how I was wounded, that's all!" Reiko said quickly.

          "I know, I know," the older girl replied. "But that doesn't change the fact that Sora desperately wanted to be in your shoes at that point."

          "There we go! Yet another reason why she's an idiot! Who the he—I mean, who in their right mind would want to be in my shoes?"

          "Like I said, Sora changed to the point where we didn't know her anymore, nor did she know us."

          "That's true."

          "And…well…" Minako hesitated. "She was becoming rather friendly with Masashi Ikeda." Reiko's knife missed the potato and cut her thumb at that statement. She was bleeding quite steadily, but she ignored it.

          "Nande kuso, Minako?!" Reiko asked incredulously. "Sora was going over to the dark side?"

          Minako nodded and handed Reiko a towel to wipe the blood with. "Now, enough about Sora. I have a question to ask you, Reiko."

          "Yes?"

          "That man isn't really your mother's brother, is he?" she asked. Reiko had been rather honest with Minako on matters concerning her father, but the fact that she wanted to learn her father's sword technique and punish him was something she could not share. _No sane person would let me complete my goal. Minako mustn't find out about my desire to destroy the Battousai until it's too late to stop me,_ Reiko decided. _Of course, I would prefer it if she never learned about it at all._

          "Of course he is, Minako!" Reiko said with a truly innocent smile. "Who did you think he was?"

          "A relative of your father."

          "Oh, come on, Minako. As though I'd bring a killer's relatives to your house!"

          "Reiko…you're related to the Battousai."

          "Chikusho," Reiko swore. Minako shot her a displeased look. "Sorry, again."

          "Now, tell me the truth. The man is not related to your mother, right?"

          "He's her older brother," Reiko said flatly.

          "Well…he certainly does look to be about the right age," Minako noted. (A/N: All hail Hiko for looking fifteen years younger than his actual age. Penny: And for passing the talent on to Kenshin. JK: No da.)

          Mrs. Ishimori entered the kitchen. "Enough small talk, ladies. I'd like to see some more potato peeling going on!" she ordered.

          "Mom, we're not workers here," Minako pointed out. Mrs. Ishimori didn't hear her, as she was looking at Reiko's and Minako's handiwork.

          "Minako, you're not peeling right. Half the potato remains with the peel. Include less of the actual potato when you cut," she reprimanded. "Reiko, your peeling's excellent! And just one thin peel, too, for the whole potato!"

          Minako rolled her eyes. "This is like science for her," she said.

          "I do get plenty of practice at home, Ishimori-dono. And it's not really my skill or anything. This knife just slices incredibly well," Reiko said modestly.

          "Well, my husband always did brag that his knives could slice vegetables and that the vegetables could always be attached again," Mrs. Ishimori noted. "In order to do that, you must cut without altering the cell structure of the vegetables in the slightest. It does take some amount of skill, though."

          "You mean your father makes knives, Minako?" Reiko asked, surprised.

          "Yes. He used to make swords, but there's no demand for them now so he makes knives as a sort of side business to the inn," Minako replied. Reiko tried not to openly gape at Minako. "He sold quite a few before the Meiji Era began, right, mom?"

          "Indeed. Now, enough stalling. Let's get to work." Reiko picked up a knife, and then lowered her hand.

          "What time is it?" she questioned urgently.

          Mrs. Ishimori glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's a quarter to six."

          "Oh _no_! I had to be home right after school!" Reiko bowed quickly and said, "Gomen, Ishimori-dono, but I really must be getting home!" Reiko was about to run towards the door, but Mrs. Ishimori's authoritative voice halted her.

          "Reiko-chan, your uncle wants to speak to you. He didn't specify as to what the topic of conversation will be, but it seemed important." Reiko sighed. _Sano's going to flay me alive…_ She thought morbidly.

          "Okay, Ishimori-dono," Reiko answered. "Where can I find him?"

          "He's out in the yard. Don't know why, though…" she added in an afterthought. "There's nothing special to look at there. Even the garden isn't much, despite all of Minako's efforts."

          "Thanks, mom," Minako said drably.

          "Thank you, Ishimori-dono," Reiko said quickly, exiting the kitchen. As she walked, she tried to formulate her approach to convincing Seijuro Hiko to become her teacher. _He'll never agree without a bit of persuasion, that's for sure. Perhaps he might be more confident about my abilities if I show him that I know the futae no kiwami…_ Reiko thought as she walked.

          "Well, now. You've definitely found me fitting accommodations. Now I will answer your questions, whatever they may be. But make it fast. I've had enough fresh air over the course of the past few days," Hiko said as soon as he saw Reiko come forth from the shadows by the inn's back entrance.

          "Hello to you, too, Hiko-san," Reiko greeted. "Honestly, if you hate the fresh air so much, then there was no reason for us to meet here."

          "Child, I doubt that the questions you intend to ask are suitable for other listeners besides the two of us," Hiko answered. Reiko looked around. The yard certainly did offer plenty of privacy. "Now, can we get this over with?"

          "Er…Hiko-san?"

          "Yes?"

          "My questions…they don't really require long explanations or anything of the sort. I have more of…a favor to ask," Reiko said, with slight reluctance.

          "And what might this favor be?" Reiko approached Hiko until she was a foot from him, far out of the earshot of any servants who may have been attending to duties nearby.

          "I am asking you to teach me the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu," she said, slowly and forcefully. Hiko looked at her strangely for a moment, as if he was unable to believe what she was requesting.

          After the brief period of skepticism on Hiko's part, he said, "What is your father's name, Reiko?"

          The question struck her as odd, but she answered it anyway. "Shinta Himura, although most know him by a different name…that of the Hitokiri Battousai."

          "And who was his mentor?" Hiko went on.

          "Um…you were?"

          "So then, who was it that taught him all he knows?"

          "I'm assuming it was you," Reiko answered, getting more baffled by the second.

          "So then, why in all the hells would you come to _me_ for lessons when the perfect person for teaching you was right in front of your nose?" Hiko asked. "Well, quite obviously, he's not the _perfect_ person. There's no way he can teach as well as I, since he only mastered the technique at twenty eight years of age." Reiko raised her eyebrows. _This is rather useful information, that it is. It may indeed come in handy,_ Reiko thought.

          "You're assuming that I actually know my father," Reiko answered. "I do not." Hiko stared at Reiko.

          "Don't tell me that my baka deshi has gotten himself killed!" he exclaimed.

          "I wouldn't know. I've never met the man," Reiko said simply. She watched a look of astonishment register on Hiko's face, or at least as surprised a look as Hiko could allow to grace his features. "That's right. My father—the person to whom you entrusted the secrets of your technique—left me and my mother before I was even born, Hiko. _That_ is the reason why my last name isn't Himura, but Kamiya. He's killed countless people…so it's rather shocking that an act of such _cowardice_ could've come from him. But come it did."

          Hiko folded his arms and turned away from his former pupil's child. _Could what she is saying possibly be true? Kenshin definitely loved Kaoru. He wouldn't have run away from the prospect of starting a new life with her! Why would he leave the both of them? It just doesn't make sense. Unless…he didn't want to face what had happened with his first love, even if it doesn't seem like him. But nevertheless, my baka deshi, despite what my nickname implies, was not foolish enough to run off without a suitable explanation, _Hiko thought. _And now, a more puzzling question. This girl seems to despise him. _Why_ would she want to learn a technique that the man she hates became famous for?_

          Reiko noticed the puzzled expression on the man's face and chuckled. "If _you_ have any questions, Hiko-san, feel free to ask."

          "Why do you seem to think yourself capable of learning the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu?" he asked. Reiko smirked, not at all surprised that he voiced such a question. _I knew when this began that he would underestimate me…_ She thought.

          "Why? I'll tell you why! Because I am just as capable of learning a style of swordsmanship as any boy! And let's not forget that the blood of the man you taught runs through _my_ veins! I already have quite an advantage to learning the technique, as I'm sure you would agree!" Reiko answered vehemently. At this, Hiko smiled knowingly.

          Putting his hand on her head, he said shrewdly, "Listen to me. You are a child now, but you will soon cease to be a little girl and become a woman. And women are ill-suited for learning swordsmanship because they are very emotional beings, and I am sure that you especially will be very tempestuous. You lack the clarity of thought that is necessary for becoming a swordsman."

          "You only say so because you are a male," she spat.

          "Reiko, there will come a point in your life where blood will repel you. Its sight will make you reel, as it does most women," Hiko went on.

          "I dream of it, Hiko-san, and of the man who shed so much of it. If there's one thing that blood will not make me do, it is reel," Reiko assured him. Although, for a moment, it seemed as though the words were spoken to reassure herself. _Will I really be able to overcome the fact that it makes me nauseous when I think of it?_ She wondered.

          "Even so, your mentality is not the only thing that will change about you. Although I'm sure you can match your strength to many of the boys you know, this will not remain true forever. As you grow older, the males around you will continue to grow stronger. And the same will probably hold true for you. However, your strength will never be able to compare to theirs. Theirs will increase on an astonishing scale…while yours will increase only by a small amount. You will not be able to challenge them for long," the older man continued, his voice becoming more forceful. She was trying his patience, but he would not let her emerge victorious. _I have undergone far worse tests with your father…and this is yet another way in which you will never be able to surpass him._ He noted.

          "I am not just any girl, Hiko!" Reiko replied angrily.

          "Why? Because your father is the Battousai? His blood does not grant you immortality, Reiko! You are relying on his reputation far too much!" Hiko countered.

          Reiko paused for a moment. "Speaking of him…I don't think it is accurate for you to say that I won't be able to stand up to most men, considering many of the accounts I've read about the Hitokiri Battousai describe him as being mistaken for a woman at first glance. I may not be able to match men when it comes to brute force, but I will be able to surpass them in terms of speed."

          "Their force won't be the only thing that prevents you from challenging them."

          "Really, now? And how would you know this, Hiko-san? I know they say that with great age comes great wisdom…but I have not yet challenged any _real_ men…so how can you truly know whether your hypothesis is accurate?" Reiko questioned, fully aware that her comment about his age had touched a nerve. That much was obvious from the way Hiko's eye slightly twitched.

          "For your information, whelp, you will not be able to slay men simply because a woman's heart is much softer than a man's. Especially when facing a man she may have feelings for. Now, picture this scenario. Your friend, your comrade, someone whom you trusted with your life…has turned against you. Will you be able to slay him?" Hiko asked.

          Reiko did not reply for a while, causing Hiko to mistake her silence for submission.

          "You wouldn't be able to, would you?"

          "I'm afraid such a situation will never come about, Hiko-san. There is not one living soul on this Earth whom I trust with my life…and such a person will never exist. On that, I can bet my life," Reiko answered confidently. After all, she had cast her desires for friendship aside since Sora had made her little comment on Reiko's attire. _People can and will change, and their changes should not have to disrupt my life. From now on…I am a lone wolf. No one should dampen my spirits the way Sora did that day._ Reiko thought. _Besides…I have no attachment to my life anymore. Once I kill the Battousai, if I die…if destiny has preordained that my life must end soon…then so be it. I have no regrets._

          "Fine then. But the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi will be worthless to you. You were born into an era where killing is unnecessary. You have no need for slaying others, which is basically what Hiten Mitsurugi is designed for. For what purpose would you want to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu?"

          "You are mistaken, Hiko. I have a desperate need to slay one particular person, but that one person alone."

          "Hmm? And who might this be?"

          "The Hitokiri Battousai." Hiko smirked. _I expected no less…_ He thought.

          "You do realize, of course, that I have no desire to teach you," he pointed out to her. Reiko nodded.

          "You've made that rather obvious."

          "Give me one good reason as to why I _would_ teach you. My life's clock is ticking. As _you_ have made rather obvious, I am not a young man anymore. Why should I spend what precious little time I have left instructing you?" Hiko asked.

          "You don't have that much to teach me, Hiko-san. I already have considerable skill with a sword," Reiko answered, "since I have been learning the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu since the age of six."

          Hiko laughed heartily. "Please, child. Do you honestly believe that all sword techniques are the same? The teachings behind each are very different, as are the philosophies and the actual skills you will learn. The Hiten Mitsurugi can teach you to slay dozens of men at one time. The Kamiya Kasshin ryuu, however, promotes _not_ killing."

          "Ah, well, what can I say? Both teach you how to kick ass, so it doesn't matter, really."

          "Kamiya, do you have a sword?"

          "Of course."

          "May I see it?"

          Reiko removed her bokuto from her waist and handed it to the man whom she so wanted to become her master. He accepted it and, after glancing at it with a sardonic grin plastered on his face, broke it over his knee. Hiko tossed the fragments of Reiko's sword aside, and it landed in a pile of used firewood. "_That,_ my dear, is the purpose you should reserve for a 'sword' such as that. Kindling."

          Reiko stared in shock at her once perfectly effective sword. True, it was a wooden sword, but it had served the purpose of a real sword nonetheless! And now Seijuro Hiko had reduced it to nothing more than…_kindling,_ as he so eloquently put it. She knew it was an inanimate object, but with its breaking she felt an inexplicable loss. Many of the attachments to her joyous past were being destroyed…one by one, starting with her own personality.

          "I distinctly refuse to teach you the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu until you can find a suitable sword. Come see me once you have found someone foolish enough to forge you a blade, and maybe _then_ I will teach you," he told Reiko, interrupting her thoughts. Despite her utter disbelief, Reiko still heard his words, and they still managed to register on her furious mind. _So he refuses to teach me with a sword that cannot possibly kill…I should've expected no less. So now, I must attain a sword. But how? Who in their right mind would make an eight-year-old girl a sword in the Meiji era?_ Reiko wondered hopelessly. Then, nearly keeling over with self-reproach at the fact that it hadn't reached her before, Reiko remembered Minako's father. _He might be willing…but it might take some convincing._

          "So," Reiko said, thrusting her hand in front of Hiko—the part of him that she could reach, anyway—for him to shake, "it's a deal, then?"

          Hiko smiled, but did not shake her hand. "It's unlikely that I'll ever teach you. You do realize that?"

          Turning towards the inn, Reiko glanced back to make one parting remark. "Ah…but there are plenty of things about me, Seijuro Hiko, that you might deem unlikely…and although you might not have realized it, you are mistaken."

Sanosuke rummaged through his drawers, his eyes half-lidded in an annoyed manner. "Damn it, where the hell are the chopsticks?!" he snapped.

          Entering the kitchen with a basket of laundry in her hands, Megumi answered dryly, "The ones that are in two pieces, three pieces, four pieces, greater amounts of pieces, or the ones that are intact?"

          "All of 'em! Dammit, Megumi, if you threw out my chopsticks—"

          "Calm down, Sanosuke. I only threw out the chopsticks that were no longer usable," she interrupted. "And I pretty much reorganized your kitchen…I do hope you don't mind. You really need to get yourself together. I don't know _how_ you manage to locate anything when you're trying to cook!"

          "Who says I _try_ when I cook? It's more like I throw a whole bunch of crap into a pot and boil it."

          "I'll keep that in mind for the next time I consider eating something you concoct."

          "And what the hell is your problem, anyway? Are you moving in or something? Where do you come from, rearranging _my_ kitchen?" Sanosuke snapped again. Megumi sighed.

          "If you'd like, I'll put everything back the way I found it. Including your dirty dishes, your dirty floors, your dirty—"

          "All right, all right. I get it. It's okay. I suppose I should be thanking you for cleaning my house," Sanosuke interrupted.

          "Yes, you should be," Megumi answered, looking at him pointedly.

          "All right, woman! Thank you," he said grudgingly. Megumi smiled and wiped her brow with the back of her hand, proceeding to sit down afterwards.

          "The weather's getting rather warm…"

          "No kidding. June's coming up." At his statement, the two adults froze.

          "June…meaning Kaoru's returning…and Reiko will have to go back home…" Megumi said slowly.

          "You realize she's not going to go home willingly, I presume?"

          "Oh, I realize that we're going to have to drag her back to the dojo kicking and screaming," Megumi remarked. After a few extended moments of silence, Megumi asked softly, "How did it come to this, Sano?"

          "Hmm?" Sanosuke questioned, cocking his head to one side.

          "Kenshin…he'd been with us for so long that it seemed as though he'd never leave," Megumi said quietly. Suddenly, she looked up at Sanosuke with renewed interest, and quickly offered an explanation for her action. "You were the last person Kenshin spoke to before he left. What did he say?"

          "What do you mean, 'what did he say?' He turned around and left without a plausible explanation!" Sanosuke retorted.

          "But there _was_ an explanation involved."

          "Not really. It seemed more like he was running away."

          "Sanosuke, what _really_ happened as Kenshin left? What did he say to excuse himself?" Megumi asked, pulling Sanosuke down to sit beside her for she was expecting a long story.

          "Fine. He mentioned that crap Saitou once spouted about how a manslayer will always be a manslayer and how he was leaving to make sure that he wouldn't cause any unnecessary pain," he said quickly.

          "Oh…Sano, don't you get it? He didn't abandon us at all! He left to protect us!"

          "Megumi, don't be naïve! Where the hell was _Kenshin_ when Kaoru bore his child? Where the hell was Kenshin when she tried to kill herself?! And where the _hell_ was he when his daughter—his own flesh and blood—was attacked?! I'd say we sure could've used some of his protection right about then!" Sanosuke barked.

          "Sano—"

          "Shut up, Megumi! Stop making excuses for him! I, too, used to believe that Kenshin left in an effort to protect us! But that was a lie! He was covering up for the fact that he was running away! The Battousai was running from the prospect of becoming a father! And you know it, Megumi!" Sanosuke shouted.

          "You're being ridiculous, Sano," Megumi said crossly. "Kaoru couldn't have been a month pregnant. There was no way Kenshin could've known."

          "Kami-sama! You do not have s—"

          "Sanosuke…" Megumi interrupted warningly.

          "Okay. You do not scre—"

          "Sanosuke!"

          Sanosuke shook his head. "Fine then. You don't stick your—"

          "SANOSUKE SAGARA!" Megumi shrieked.

          "—into someone and then expect there to be no consequences! He knew full well what he and Kaoru did, and he knew full well what Kaoru's condition would be after the little 'incident!'" Sanosuke went on as though she hadn't interrupted, thankfully editing out the word he had planned to use earlier. He shook his head, folding his legs. "Besides, the whole point is that he chose to tell _me_ that he was going to leave for good, and not Kaoru. I don't know what Kenshin's views on good manners are, but I'd say that after getting a woman pregnant, he could at least say 'farewell.' I mean, I would've."

          Megumi smiled slightly. "I don't think you're the best person Kenshin could've gotten etiquette lessons from."

          "Thanks, Megumi," Sanosuke answered dryly. Megumi smiled wider.

          "After all, you deny having had a relationship with a woman. I suppose I overestimated your actions yesterday," Megumi remarked, her smile disappearing once she was finished. She rose and heaved the laundry basket. "You must've been too drunk to have meant any of it, and too drunk to remember it afterwards." She smiled again, and Sanosuke realized it was a pained, sorrowful smile. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her down the way she had earlier.

          "Stupid Fox Lady," he said quietly. "Of course I remembered. But you do, of course, realize that Reiko planned all of that? She was obviously expecting something to happen, and I hardly wanted to prove her right."

          "That shouldn't have mattered, Sanosuke. What other people think shouldn't ever matter," Megumi responded flatly. "But don't worry. I'm used to having feelings that can never be requited. No matter how colorful or convincing a lie is, it will never change the fact that it's still a lie." She rose and proceeded on her way to Sanosuke's yard. "Tell Reiko she can cook dinner once she gets home if she wants to, but she won't have to do the laundry."

          Sanosuke stared after her, wondering if they were all cursed never to have a normal relationship with someone of the opposite gender. He began to sigh, but broke off when he heard the door to his home being slid open. He wandered over to meet Reiko, for that was the only person it could be, but at first glance, he couldn't recognize the girl.

          Her eyes were downcast and her left hand was playing with her sash. She looked utterly crestfallen, and it was only after Sanosuke realized what she was lacking that he understood why.

          Reiko's sword was not at her waist, although he was sure that she had left with it earlier that day.

          "Um…Reiko?" he asked tentatively. "Are you okay?" She looked up at him with a vacant expression in her eyes.

          "Okay? Me? Yeah. I'm fine."  
          "You don't look it. Where's your sword?"

          She hesitated at first, before replying, "I have no more use for a bokuto. I'm not going to be learning the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu any longer. It is pointless."

          Sanosuke stared at Reiko, bewildered. "It's…pointless? Since when?! Reiko, you've been learning the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu for the past two years! It's never been pointless! What about your conflict with Fujitaka Wakamaru? The Kamiya Kasshin ryuu helped you to overpower—"

          "Sanosuke, stop talking. You have the kanji for 'aku' on your back, not 'baka.' The Kamiya Kasshin ryuu helped me overpower Fujitaka Wakamaru, you think? I don't. The fact that I escaped him with my life intact was mere luck. I couldn't fight Masashi with a bokuto. What do I need it for? The thing offers me no protection from even the weakest of foes." Reiko's cold, blue eyes darted across the clean kitchen and her expression softened. "Megumi has been busy, I see."

          Sanosuke looked vexed. "What makes you think Megumi is responsible for all this?" he inquired.

          "Do you mean to tell me that _you_ cleaned the house?"

          "…no."

          "Didn't think so," Reiko answered triumphantly.

          "Anyway, you're not doing the laundry today because Megumi's gotten to it. She has a different chore for you. You get to cook," Sanosuke said.

          "Sure," Reiko said, proceeding to gather the supplies she needed for whatever she intended to cook. "Damn, Sano! Megumi even reorganized your kitchen! You should hail her! It's not taking me several hours to locate the ingredients I need."

          "Yeah, yeah. Megumi's great. We should all hail her for her 'greatness,'" Sanosuke said drably. Reiko grinned knowingly at Sanosuke, causing him shake his head forcefully. "Oh hell no, Reiko! I know what that look means!"

          Reiko cocked her head to one side in what she hoped looked like innocent confusion. "I don't know what you mean, Sano."

          "That's the look you give Yahiko before asking him how far he and Tsubame have gone," Sanosuke replied.

          "Then you already know the question I'm about to ask."

          "Forget that, Reiko. We have more pressing matters to deal with. For example, where did you go after school?" he questioned.

          "Home," was the simple reply he received.

          "It took you, oh, three hours to walk home?" Sanosuke asked disbelievingly.

          "Yes," Reiko answered, chopping up bits of seaweed. She still managed to handle her knife rather professionally, despite the fact that she was blatantly lying to her guardian. _Is lying well another trait I've picked up from you, Father?_ She wondered.

          "You realize I'm not buying any of this, right?" Sanosuke remarked.

          "Of course, although I can't understand why you don't believe me. Let's just say that I've had a pretty difficult day at school and I needed to go for an extensive walk after school was over. I went on a little detour on my way home," Reiko explained. It wasn't exactly a lie—it was just an omission of the truth…an omission of a large portion of the truth. Now that she thought about it, Reiko tended to lie by omission quite often.

          "What happened? Don't tell me Masashi tried to settle the score," Sanosuke said skeptically.

          "He didn't. In fact, he didn't even show up for school today, nor will he ever again," Reiko said, using a nearby cloth to wipe her hands. "I have to go get some water now." As she passed by him on her way out of the kitchen, Sanosuke grabbed her hand.

          "What exactly do you mean by that, Reiko?" He didn't like the finality of her tone, and the morbid possibility it seemed to imply.

          "Ikeda changed schools. Apparently the beating I gave him scared him off for good," she answered.

          "I see."

          Outside, as Reiko approached the well in Sanosuke's yard, she noticed Megumi muttering darkly as she washed the clothing purposefully not too far off. Reiko couldn't help but chuckle. I_ don't even do the laundry like that. At this rate, she'll rub the clothing hard enough to leave holes._

          "I leave you two children alone for one day and look what happens," she said once she was close enough for Megumi to actually hear her.

          Megumi looked up. "Hello, Reiko," she greeted her.

          "Hi, auntie Megumi."

          "What are you making for dinner?"

          "Miso soup."

          "Er…that may not be the best idea…"

          "Why not?"

          "We have no tofu."

          "What?!" Reiko shrieked, glaring. These people should've known by now how she got when she didn't have her ingredients!

          "I'm sorry. I told Sanosuke to go buy the things we were missing several hours ago…but he decided to take a nap. And I was still busy cleaning so I didn't get a chance," Megumi explained.

          Reiko grinned mischievously. "It's okay, Megumi. We'll see how Sanosuke likes taking a permanent nap!" she shouted, reaching for her wooden sword. She froze when she realized it wasn't there. _I can't believe I forgot! Wait…this might turn out well after all…the money for my new sword has to come from _somewhere_._ Reiko thought. "I have a better idea, Megumi. Why don't you give me the money, and I'll buy the tofu. Rather than sending Sano off, I could be the one to buy the food. I'm more reliable than he is."

          "How do you figure that?"

          "I'm not going to get side-tracked by the nearest gambling joint."

          "…good point."

Three minutes later, Reiko left Sanosuke's miserable little hovel and set out to find the cheapest possible place to purchase tofu. On the way to the nearest marketplace, she was sure to pick up any spare change some unsuspecting person may have dropped. It made her feel like a beggar, but she could hardly ask Sanosuke or Megumi for several hundred yen without a serious interrogation afterwards.

          "How much for the tofu?" Reiko asked sweetly.

          The old woman seated behind the counter glanced up. "Three yen." Reiko winced inwardly. She only had four yen from the start. Without bothering to bid the woman farewell, Reiko set out for her next destination.

          Her luck did not improve. The next salesperson would sell his tofu for no less than four yen.

          "Damn it, what the hell do I have to do to find some nice decent tofu for two yen?!" Reiko swore and kicked a rock as she walked away from his booth. Completely apathetic to where she was going or whom she might've ended up treading on, Reiko walked right into an innocent old man buying vegetables.  
          "Today is just not my day," Reiko muttered from the ground. She looked up and opened her mouth to apologize to the old man for being so careless, but her words were caught in her throat. She openly gaped at the slightly opened wallet protruding from the man's pocket, in which she could plainly see a substantial amount of money. _Having an uncle who used to be a pickpocket has just become very beneficial,_ she thought to herself, fighting the irresistible to smile widely.

          The man was looking at her pointedly. "You just bumped into me, child. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked.

          Reiko put her hand behind her head sheepishly, still on the ground. "Moushi wake arimasen!" she said apologetically. (A/N: Moushi wake arimasen is the most formal way of saying, "I'm sorry," in Japanese. It's usually used for clients, customers, and superiors, but I think it would make sense to use it when apologizing to a complete and total stranger. It literally translates to, "I have no excuse for myself." This information is brought to you by Shonen Jump. ; What, you didn't _actually_ think I knew anything about Japanese without help, did you? Yoshimi: Hell no. No one has that much faith in you. JK: (glares) That's it! I'm killing you in the next author's note! Penny: Shut up and type, JK.) The man, satisfied, turned back to deliberating whether to buy the vegetables or not. Muttering a quick "Thank God," Reiko grabbed the man's wallet and sped off without him even realizing his pocket was empty, all within the course of a second. After she was a considerable distance away from the marketplace, Reiko sat down on the ground and burst into hysterical laughter. "THAT WAS TOO EASY, IT WAS!" Still laughing to herself, Reiko decided to return to the first place she had visited on her shopping experience.

          And it was in such a manner that Reiko managed to attain forty-six yen over the course of the next few weeks. For those few weeks, she was content to go to school, come home to Sanosuke and Megumi, and hear them bicker. She even ignored any snide comments that were being made about her in school, to which Sora was beginning to contribute significantly. But Reiko wasn't the only person waging war with Sora and her new friends…Satoshi seemed to have become fed up with Reiko being taunted and was beginning to clamp Sora's mouth shut quite tightly. It wasn't so much Satoshi's witty remarks that achieved this, but merely the fact that he chose to utter them in the first place.

          So Reiko was happy…for a while. But the coming of June brought an end to many things—not just the month of May. With it came the conclusion of Reiko's childhood, her past, her laughter, and above all else…her happiness.

June 1, 1888

"Hell freaking no, Sano!" Reiko said flatly, grabbing onto the pane of her door as Sanosuke carried her out of her room. "I am not going back to the dojo!"

          "Reiko, no one's asking you. You always go back in June," Sanosuke replied, also with finality.

          "Um…Sano…I know you're dense, but in case you haven't realized…I CAN'T GO BACK TO THE DOJO BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO CURRENTLY RESIDES THERE TRIED TO KILL ME!" she ended with a scream.

          "Reiko, your mother was not in her right mind! You know that! She wants to see you, I'm sure. So stop being such a prissy show-off and go make amends with her!" he shouted back.

          Reiko was silent for a moment, letting go of the edge of her and allowing Sanosuke to carry her off. Then, after a few seconds of consideration, she spoke. "Sano…would you like to go make amends with Saitou, for example? I mean, I know all about the stories…and after all those times he tried to kill you…would you become his friend after one simple apology?" she asked quietly.

          Eyes shut firmly in defiance, he answered, "That's completely different, Reiko, and you know it."

          "I do…but how can I forgive her? She tried to kill me. I'm her flesh and blood. I was a part of her at one point. How could she try to deny me my right to live?" Reiko said faintly, which led Sanosuke not to be able to fathom whether she was talking to him or to herself. She spoke once again, but raised her voice by a vast amount. "Set me down, Uncle Sano. I will neither run nor defy you anymore. If it is what you wish, then I'll return to the dojo without any further complaint. Just give me five minutes to get ready."

          Grudgingly, Sanosuke complied. After he had apparently gone to tell Megumi to get ready to leave, Reiko dashed to the kitchen. She dug into the wicker basket in which the knives were kept and dug to the bottom. Finally, she found what she was looking for. She drew out an elegantly forged knife with a black handle that had white flowers adorning it, along with a matching casing. Reiko was sure that Sanosuke didn't even remember that it existed, and was also sure that it was way beyond his price range judging by its quality. She noticed it only once she knocked the knives over a few days ago, causing the fabric-covered weapon to drop to the floor. (And she was sure it _was_ a weapon, for it was much too dagger-like to be a common kitchen knife.)Curious, she unwrapped the knife and studied it. _There's no way Sanosuke could've bought this! He must have won it through gambling or something…_ She remembered thinking at the time. She pulled the case off and tested the blade's sharpness by running her finger across, not even so much as wincing when it began to bleed quite steadily. At that moment, she knew that without her bokuto or a real sword, the thing that would serve as her protection in addition to her fists would be that knife.

          Now, Reiko slid the dagger into the back part of her obi, hoping that she wouldn't need to resort to using it. She did, however, realize that it was most likely be a futile hope, for she had managed to make many enemies in the eight years she had been alive.

          "Reiko, dammit, are you coming?! I DON'T HAVE ETERNITY TO WAIT FOR YOU!" she heard Sanosuke call.

          Shaking her head, she ran to the door, expecting to see Megumi all packed and ready to go—as she was. Strangely, Megumi wasn't even present.

          "Where's Megumi?" Reiko asked curiously.

          "Hold on!" Megumi called before Sanosuke could reply. She approached them, carrying her many belongings. Once she was directly in front of Sanosuke, she set them down at his feet.

          "I'm not carrying those, Megumi," Sanosuke told her conclusively.

          "What?"

          "I refuse to carry your things."

          "So you expect me to carry _all_ of this, Sanosuke?"

          "I sure as hell ain't carrying anything," Reiko interjected.

          "You're not, I'm not, and neither is Megumi," Sanosuke said. Megumi furrowed her brow in frustration.

          "Just what does that mean?" she demanded, vexed.

          "This." Sanosuke took Megumi's arm and pulled her to him. Before the two astonished females realized what was happening, Sanosuke laid his lips on Megumi's, kissing her deeply. Reiko, being a mere onlooker, seemed to notice Megumi tense up, but then relax and return it. She stood there, blinking repeatedly, until the two finally broke away. "You're not going anywhere, Megumi."

          There was silence for a moment after Sanosuke's statement, until Reiko shattered it with a bout of laughter. "I knew it! I knew it was going to happen!" she shouted gleefully. She hugged both Megumi and Sanosuke in turn. "I was wondering when you two would finally overcome your stubbornness! It happened when Sanosuke got drunk, right? HAH! YOU CAN'T FIGHT FATE!"

          "Glad you think this is so hilarious!" Sanosuke said loudly.

          "Oh, shut up Sano," Megumi said with a smile, elbowing him gently. "This is the happiest I've seen her in days."

          "Now I can have cousins! Or…whatever. Can I help out when you have kids, Megumi?" Reiko asked expectantly.

          "Hold on a minute, there, Reiko!" Sanosuke snapped. "We haven't come anywhere near having kids!"

          "Damn…you people are taking longer than Yahiko and Tsubame!"

          Megumi chuckled. "Stop, Reiko. You're embarrassing Sano." Sanosuke and Megumi hadn't failed to notice the sudden change in Reiko's mood…and her eye color. They were back to their amethyst color and their innocent expression, and neither of them wished to bring her cold persona back. (A/N: Yoshimi: …you made her bipolar. JK: She's not bipolar! She's just going to become all rurouni every once in a while! 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT HER TO BE HEARTLESS ALL THE TIME! But…those times will decrease. Yoshimi: Yeah…sure…you're just coveri— JK: YOSHIMI I WILL HURT YOU!)

          "Let's set out, shall we?" Megumi asked.

But as they approached the dojo, Reiko's eyes were steadily making their transition from pale purple to steely blue. It appeared that nothing could keep her melted for long.

          As they entered the dojo—Reiko being reluctant and entering last—they saw Yahiko and Kaoru seated across from one another, eating their midday meal. They both looked up as the group entered. Reiko was too young to remember clearly every other time she came home after her mother's alleged trips to China, but she somehow seemed different this time. Every other time, Reiko remembered her mother appearing tired, wasted somehow…but this time, Kaoru appeared to have been thinking lucidly for a while, and didn't appear at all weary.

          As she spotted Reiko, Kaoru stood up. They watched each other, in complete silence, for a few moments. In these few moments, Reiko reached into her obi and slid the scabbard of her dagger off slightly.

          Suddenly, Kaoru took a few steps forward, with one arm outstretched towards her. "Reiko…" she said softly, and regretfully. Scoffing, Reiko drew the dagger completely out, and then pointed it at the center of Kaoru's torso.

          "You take one step closer to me and I swear it'll be the _last_ step you take," she said darkly, causing everyone in the room to blanch in shock.

          "But…I—"

          "Don't you dare try to come up with an excuse."

          "Reiko—"

          "I will not hesitate to thrust this into you as you did not hesitate to try and thrust a similar knife into me," Reiko interrupted again. "You have long since lost my trust, and don't expect to gain it back so easily. In fact, I don't think you should be expecting to gain it back at all…" Lowering her weapon, Reiko pushed passed Kaoru and stormed to her room, shutting her door firmly behind her.

          With a sigh, Megumi said, "I was afraid of this…" She put a reassuring hand on Kaoru's shoulder. Kaoru, however, shrugged it off.

          "Don't offer me consolation, Megumi. I don't deserve it. Reiko has every right to behave as she just did. After all, I've been behaving worse for a total of eight months. Nine, if you count what happened when I first found out that Kenshin was gone. If Reiko never speaks to me again, then it won't be unwarranted," Kaoru stated angrily.

          "Kaoru…you _know_ this isn't your fault…" Sanosuke began tentatively. "It's _his _fa—"

          "A stronger woman would've forgotten about Kenshin's existence by now!" Kaoru exclaimed. "But no more. I'm through with mourning his absence and wishing he would come back. I'm through with acting the way I do every May. It's just not fair to any of you." She sighed heavily. "I've given you all such a burden to deal with for the past eight years…knowing what's happening to me…knowing that Reiko should know the truth…and yet knowing that you can't tell her."

          "Kaoru, please. It's nothing compared to what you were going through these past eight years!" Sanosuke pointed out.

          "What exactly have I been going through, Sano? All I've been doing is wallowing in my self-pity! But that's all going to end. I'll be taking no more trips to China…" With those final words, Kaoru walked away from them swiftly, heading towards the yard where she normally trained her students.

          "Where's she going?" Sanosuke asked, slightly puzzled.

          "To train her students," Yahiko answered. "It's weird…she's been teaching throughout most of the month. One day, I came back and Kaoru was perfectly fine. I think it was her encounter with Reiko that might have snapped her out of it."

          "Wait, how do you know about that?" Sanosuke asked.

          "Kaoru told me."

          "She actually _told_ you she tried to kill Reiko?"

          "Yes. Only the way she said it…her voice was full of self-disgust. But I think she needed to relay it to someone for fear of exploding," Yahiko explained.

          "That's good…" Megumi said.

          "Oh, so now it's a good thing that Kaoru feels disgusted with herself?!" Sanosuke barked.

          "You twit, I meant it's a good thing that she told him!" Megumi shrieked. "Stop twisting everything I say, Sano!"

          "Maybe I wouldn't have to if Fox Ladies such as yourself would learn how to be more specific when they talk!"

          "Oh, so now it's my fault!"

          "It's _always_ your fault!"

          "At least _I_ wasn't the one who brought something as ugly as you are into this world!"

          "You say that like _someone_ would actually be willing to have you give birth to their kids!"

          Yahiko stood up and grabbed his sword, attaching it to his waist. Both Megumi and Sanosuke were forced to stop arguing, for Yahiko was looking strangely despondent.

          As he walked by them in complete silence, approaching the door through which they entered, Sanosuke felt that there was a question that the two adults in the room were dying to voice. And so he did.

          "Something the matter, Yahiko?"

          Yahiko stopped and looked back at Sanosuke, with a slightly dejected expression on his face. "I just know that this won't end well," he said softly. "Especially not for me…"

          And with that cryptic statement, Yahiko exited, leaving Megumi and Sanosuke standing there with blank expressions plastered upon their faces, utterly bewildered.

JK: Phew! Another chappie is complete! I didn't think I'd actually make it to the end of chapter seven, but here I am, typing the lame author's note! I hope everyone enjoyed it!

Penny: Um…JK? I think you'd better come and take a look at this.

(Penny leads JK to a room where the cast and Yoshimi are standing and staring at something in complete silence. JK pushes through to see what the cause of such shock might be. Saitou and Kenshin and seated across from one another, laughing heartily and clutching sake cups in their hands.)

JK: What…the…hell?

Saitou: Oh, and remember the time where we met for the first time in ten years, and you reverted back to your old self?

Kenshin: How could I forget?

Saitou: That only happened when I snapped your hair band. It was like, "My name is Himura the Battousai. You snapped my hair band. Now die."

Kenshin (chuckling): Ah, yes.

Saitou: What the hell, Kenshin? Did that thing hold some sort of special meaning to you?

Kenshin: Nah…I was just pissed because you now caused my long, beautiful hair to get in my way as I prepared to kick your ass. (smiles sweetly) Honestly, Hajime…why the hair band?!

Saitou (sheepishly): Sorry…but you broke my sword in half!

Kenshin: On the bright side…I was aiming for your head.

Saitou: And that's supposed to make me feel better?

Kenshin: You snapped my treasured hair band; I snapped your crappy sword. It's all fair.

Saitou: That sword cost money, I'll have you know!

Kenshin: So did the hair band.

Both (sighing after a moment): Those were the days…

JK: What the hell is this?! Rurouni Kenshin cast gone wild?

Kenshin: Well…we're not really part of the Rurouni Kenshin cast, considering we haven't been in the past five chapters!

Saitou: I mean, if you're going to come up with a show with as stupid a title as Rurouni Kenshin, the least you could do is put Kenshin in it!

Kenshin: And my worst nemesis/best friend Hajime should be in it too!

JK: (can only openly gape, along with the rest of the spectators, at the two former Hitokiri)

Saitou: We've been forced to freakin' retire!

Kenshin: JK, he receives a pension since he looks a lot older than me and can pass off as a senior citizen. He also got a job as the Grim in the Prisoner of Azkaban! I'M ON WELFARE, DAMN IT!

All except Kenshin and Saitou: (burst out laughing at those last statements)

Kenshin and Saitou: IT'S NOT FUNNY!

JK (out of breath): All right, all right. Gomen! I'll include you both soon! Saitou, you're in the next chapter. And Kenshin…you're…well…um…don't get off Welfare any time soon.

Kenshin: ¬¬ Thanks.

JK: And Saitou? The Grim is an actual dog…it's not like you being a Wolf of Mibu.

Saitou: … (blinks) Aw, damn, and I was wondering what the huge dog outfit was for!

JK: …you've seen your costume and you still thought that you…you…

Saitou: (laughs sheepishly) Heh…you see…the filming is sort of…over.

All except Saitou and Kenshin: (burst out laughing again)

Kenshin: DO YOU SEE WHAT WE'VE BEEN FORCED TO RESORT TO?!

JK (patting Saitou on the head): It's okay…at least you're playing an omen of death!

Saitou: Stop patting my head. Do I look like a dog to you?

JK (with an evil grin): You will on June 4!

Saitou: Why you…

Kenshin: Stop, Saitou! If you disrespect and/or kill her, you'll never land another job back in the Meiji era!

JK: Yep. (turns to Yoshimi) And as promised… (grabs Saitou's sword and begins chasing after Yoshimi)

Penny: (sighs) Oi the stupidity…

(All stand there watching as JK eventually gains on Yoshimi and ties her up and gags her with rope that just happened to be at the right place at the right time.)

All: …ouch.

(JK delivers Yoshimi to Kaoru.)

JK: You can use her as target practice.

Kaoru: Er…sure.

Yoshimi: MMMMPH! MMMMMPH!

JK: Anyway…thanks to all the readers who have actually read this far! I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! (sniffles) You're all too good to me…

Penny: In other words, flames are welcome.

JK: QUIET, PENNY! FLAMES ARE NOT WELCOME! But I would like to know if anyone can figure out what's wrong with Yahiko. Er…just send your idea in a review. The person who guesses correctly gets a cookie!

Penny (raising an eyebrow): A cookie?

JK: Okay…a buck.

Kenshin: That's less than _my_ weekly spending money!

JK: Why, how much do you get?

Kenshin: A dollar and five cents.

JK: (sweatdrops) Anyway, I'll let you have a million dollar bill!

Kenshin: (gapes) HOW MUCH?!

JK: …a virtual million dollar bill. I receive no pay for this, unfortunately. (Although if I were paid for each word, I _would_ be a millionaire by now…considering how annoyingly long my chapters are.)

(Kaoru screams.)

JK: Um…I think Yoshimi managed to escape… (gulps) I better go grab Reiko's dagger now…please review! Thanks! (dashes off)


	8. Ignition

**The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 8: Ignition**

JK: (dances around) I ish back with a new chappie of The Fires of Vengeance! WOOT! And here I was thinking I wouldn't make it past chapter seven.

Penny (shaking her head): Don't you just want to smack her sometimes? That modesty of yours gets rather annoying after a while… (displeased look)

JK: -.- Oh fine. Once again…I really don't feel like writing a humorous author's note at the beginning of the chapter…so on with the fic!

Okibi: You could've introduced me first.

JK: Ah yes. This is Okibi, my…erm…online brotherly figure, also known as The Fic Critic. He will be taking Happy Beauty Yoshimi's place in my author's notes since Yoshimi has met her demise. (looks at Okibi skeptically) May I go on _now_, dearest onii-san?

Okibi: By all means…

Kenshin: I must voice a small, quiet concern first.

JK: (pauses) What is it?

Kenshin: AM I IN THIS FREAKING CHAPTER OR NOT?!

Okibi: Quiet, eh?

Penny: Quiet, Okibi. He's just frustrated because JK's completely edited him out of the picture.

JK: I did not! He'll be in it soon enough. And Penny, don't go starting verbal wars with Okibi. I cannot simultaneously keep you two from killing each other and type.

Penny: I have every right to snap at him, JK. He insulted my Sessho-sama!

Okibi: Like a battle of wits would last long when you pit someone as sharp as me against her… (smirks)

(JK shakes her head wearily.)

JK: Enough.

Kenshin (pouting slightly): Am I _ever_ going to meet everyone again?

JK: Sure you will. But see…they'll all hate you.

Kenshin: Even Reiko?

JK: Have you been following the bloody plot line?! She already loathes you!

(Kenshin sighs.)

Hiko: Great, now look at what you've done. He's going to go drown his sorrow using _my_ sake. What the hell have I done to deserve this? WHY ARE PEOPLE ALWAYS TAKING MY SAKE?!

Penny: Because at the rate you stock up, there isn't enough to go around for the rest of us.

(Hiko's face takes on an expression identical to Kenshin's.)

JK: Brilliant move. The thirteenth and fourteenth masters of the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu are angry. This can only end so well!

Okibi: They look more distraught than anything else…

Kenshin: (glares at Hiko) At least you have a role!

Hiko (to JK): Is it a role in which I drink sake?

JK: Hiko, you do not exist anywhere without your sake. Do the math.

Hiko: FINALLY! PROCEED WITH THE FIC! I'll do that disclaimer thing. JK is not our master. We belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki up until the time he decides to sell his copyrights to JK…which will hopefully be never.

JK: Your fate is in my hands, remember?

Hiko: I'm indispensable to your plot. You need me. (smug look)

JK: (clutches the dagger Penny was kind enough to give her in a review) You were saying?

Okibi: JK, just start the fic!

Sanosuke and Megumi stared after Yahiko as he proceeded to exit the dojo, standing in a kind of morbid silence. Both of them knew what was required for both of the situations that had suddenly arisen within the Kamiya dojo, but neither had any idea how to approach them. Megumi sighed helplessly. She was about to voice a feeble question as to how and why everything had come to this, but she caught herself in time. There were plenty of people around her and Sanosuke wallowing in their own despair, and there was no need for that number to increase. Besides, now wasn't the time for self-interest. She and Sanosuke were far better off than Kaoru and Reiko—not to mention the suddenly brooding Yahiko—so it was their duty to mend any rifts the past month had caused. _No…that's not right. I'm accusing Kaoru and Reiko of wallowing in their despair, but that isn't just. They're human. They're _people._ And they deserve to have a small measure of happiness in their lives. How easily you gave Kaoru happiness, Battousai…and how easily you took it away…_

Leaning on Sanosuke, she said softly, "Tell you what. You can go speak to the adult who acts like a child, and I'll deal with the child who thinks she's an adult."

Sanosuke shook his head warily. "I never thought I'd see the day when my role in our little group would be peacemaker."

"Ah, well…lots of things have changed since you last thought about something."

"Megumi!"

"I was only kidding…but you must admit, plenty of things _have_ changed since the way they were before."

"You mean since Kenshin decided that fatherhood was one ordeal he couldn't face?"

"I mean even after Reiko's birth. She's changed so much…and in such a short expanse of time. It's unnerving," Megumi murmured, pensive.

"Things like that happen when you realize your father is a cold-blooded killer, your mother would not hesitate to kill you at certain times during the year, and that plenty of people want you dead for the first fact," Sanosuke answered. "Suddenly I think it would've been best if Reiko never found out."

"By not telling her, we'd only be delaying the inevitable. You know Reiko is incredibly insightful. She would've realized, at one point in time, that we were deceiving her," Megumi pointed out. "She may not have learned the Hiten Mitsurugi, but I guess that quality is something that just runs in their blood. A trait she inherited from _him._" As he stood studying the spotless floors of the dojo, Sanosuke realized that Megumi had no need to clarify who she meant by "him." They had reached a sort of silent, mutual consent as to how they would refer to Kenshin from now on: a stressed, contemptuous pronunciation of the word, "him."

"That's true," Sanosuke admitted. "Anyway, how do you expect me to talk to Yahiko? Sure, I may have a way with words when it comes to Reiko, but I helped raise her. That's only to be expected."

Smiling, Megumi added, "You not only helped raise her, but you transferred a bit of your personality to her."

"And which part of my personality might that be?"

"Oh…I don't know. Maybe your complete lack of concern where rules and/or laws are concerned?"

"Oh, don't give me that, woman!" Sanosuke snapped. "It's been years since I've been in trouble with the law."

"Only because you've been lucky and haven't gotten caught yet," said Megumi teasingly.

"What exactly have I done that's against the law lately?"

"You gambled a few weeks ago."

"So?"

"Gambling's illegal."

"…it's not enforced. It doesn't matter." Megumi shook her head wearily.

"Let's not start yet another conflict, Sano." Sanosuke nodded in accordance.

"Yeah…but that changes nothing. Just 'cause you named me negotiator doesn't mean I'll be any good at it. Besides, Yahiko's been acting different lately. It seems as though he's hiding something. And forgetting all that, what the hell is his problem? What does Reiko hating Kaoru have to do with him?" Sanosuke speculated.

"I'd have to say that he doesn't want to be caught in between all the time. He does live here, after all. In any case, your job is to find out what the hell his problem is," Megumi said with a hint of bittersweet cheerfulness. Sanosuke grunted in annoyance.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're enjoying this?"

"I'm bossing you around. Did you think I'd be upset about that?"  
"No…just…in light of what happened…I figured you'd be a bit more melancholy."

"Just what happened? Kaoru overcame her insanity. Reiko didn't respond well to meeting her would-be murderer. Everything in the world comes with ups and downs. They exist in order to maintain a state of balance. The amount of evil in the world always equals the amount of righteousness. That's the way it has always been and the way it always will be."

Sanosuke chuckled. "What ass-backwards dream did you infer that from?"

"SANO!"

Snickering, he said, "Sorry…it was a nice attempt at philosophy, though."

"Go brainwash Yahiko, Sanosuke," Megumi commanded crossly. Still smiling at having beaten her in a battle of wits, Sanosuke adhered to Megumi's wishes.

Megumi clenched her hand and held it up to knock once she reached Reiko's room, but faltered. _Perhaps my best approach to the matter at hand would be not to confront her openly,_ she noted. And so, without the slightest hint of noise, Megumi slid open the door to Reiko's room and entered, silently sliding it shut to offer them some privacy. After all, the conversation Megumi intended to have would involve plenty of impassioned remarks from her smart-alecky "niece." Although, Megumi couldn't help but beam inside. She'd entered Reiko's room without the child so much as twitching, which was a rather overt indication that Megumi had successfully remained inconspicuous. _Well now, Battousai…you were apparently not the only person within this dojo who possessed some merit of stealth. How would you react upon finding out that my presence went unnoticed by the child who, essentially, is your duplicate?_

"Are you just going to stand there and breathe for eternity and beyond, or are you going to say something?" Reiko asked sullenly, her back to Megumi. The doctor nearly staggered back in shock. _Of course.__ While my skills might _rival_ the lowest of the Battousai's, there is someone here who actually _possesses_ his skills,_ Megumi realized. _Reiko's managed to hone them considerably for someone who's had no practice or instruction._

Reiko rotated her body so that she was facing her. She sat there, calmly staring into Megumi's eyes with a cold and yet completely pacified expression. Wasting no more time, Megumi sat down directly in front of Reiko and folded her hands in her lap.

"I can do plenty more than just breathe," Megumi said, initiating the conversation.

"Congratulations. You have mastered two—perhaps three—bodily functions that all human beings are capable of. You are truly gifted," Reiko retorted sardonically.

"Now why the hostility, Reiko? I'm not here to wage war with you."

"Maybe not on my side, but you are here to instigate a battle of some sort. Whether between the two of us…between myself and some other member of our disturbed family…maybe even between _all_ of you and myself. Or perhaps you're here to cause a war within me, in which the parts of my soul will oppose each other. I honestly don't know."

"I am not your enemy, Reiko, nor am I an instigator who wishes to ordain a conflict of any kind."

"I have certain qualities that can only be referred to as astonishing since I inherited them from a bastard who can only be called inhuman. But just because my sixth sense is as acute as a dog's does not mean that you have to serve as the bone they throw me to try and get me to mellow out!" Reiko shouted.

"You're reading too much into this, Reiko-chan. I am attempting nothing pertaining to what you have just said. I wish to speak to you about a past you can only hear about from a few people, most of whom would never be willing to tell you," Megumi said calmly.

"Past?"

"What happened between your parents."

"Yahiko already told me the sword and sheath story."

"I didn't mean that."

"Then by all means, Megumi. If it is something you think I need to know, speak."

"Oh, and I _am_ grateful for your permission," Megumi said with a sarcastic aloofness.

"Is all this necessary? What happened to all that talk about lessening the hostility?"

"Sometimes I find that difficult when being forced to contend with utter disrespect."

Reiko—for perhaps the first time in her life—bowed her head in shame. "Forgive me, Megumi-dono," she said softly. "You're not the person I'm angry with."

"You'll have to forgive me as well. You've undergone a terrible tribulation, and I acted as though you were being an immature little girl," Megumi answered. There was no reason to ask whom Reiko really _was_ mad at, for it was bound to figure later in their conversation.

"Isn't that what I am?" Reiko asked with a half-smile.

"Hardly."

Reiko shook her head. _In the past year I've had enough time to mutate into an incredibly difficult person, and in the past month Megumi has learned how to tame me. I do believe that I've let my guard down. Well, she can be certain that it will never happen again…_ Reiko thought, resolute.

"Now, Reiko, tell me. How do you see your father?" Megumi asked mysteriously. Reiko quirked an eyebrow. This was certainly _not_ how she expected the conversation would start out.

"What do you mean?" she asked quizzically in return.

"What type of personality do you think the Battousai had?" she elaborated.

"He must've been manipulative, that's for sure. And if both you and my mother managed to fall for him, then he had to be pretty damn attractive," Reiko noted, grinning.

"Ah…but if it were only Kaoru and I who fell in love with him."

Reiko paused for a moment, before blushing faintly and inquiring tentatively, "Um…Megumi? Just how many women _did_ my father have around here?"

"One. And that's the point. Out of all the women who had ever loved him, he chose one. Kaoru," Megumi explained.

"Don't," Reiko said sourly.

Megumi looked slightly baffled. "Don't what?"

"Refrain from feeding me this bullshit about how my parents actually loved each other. If love means leaving your lover and your unborn child, then we live in a perverse world and I'd happily commit seppuku here and now," Reiko stated bitterly.

"Passionate words, coming from someone who's never been in love," Megumi pointed out, smiling teasingly.

"Please, Megumi. Even if I ever _do_ fall in love, which I highly doubt, I would never so wholly give myself to a man that I could never live without him."

"You forget, Reiko. You are but eight years old, whereas your mother was seventeen when she met your father. For all you know, your mother had the same beliefs when she was your age."

Reiko shook her head knowingly. "She couldn't have had the same beliefs. She grew up knowing her father. I, on the other hand, never met the man who helped make my existence possible…all he taught me was a bitter loathing for him and the rest of the male population," she said.

Megumi folded her arms, studying Reiko with an inquiring gaze.

"Yes, Megumi, I hate men. All of them, save for Yahiko and Sanosuke, of course," Reiko went on.

"Reiko," Megumi reprimanded, sighing.

"What? Men are selfish bastards who think women are property! They know nothing of the hell we go through, and yet consider themselves our superiors! That's the way it's always been and the way it will always remain. After all, people's mentalities are difficult to change. Look at humanity's history. We don't learn from our past mistakes, and we don't make good use of anything that we _do_ learn!" Reiko exclaimed.

"Reiko," Megumi repeated wearily.

"I wouldn't shut up about this topic even if you got me a katana! Well…scratch that, a katana might just be worth it," Reiko mused.

"Yes, well, good luck with that. Because none of us are intending to buy you a weapon in the near future," Megumi responded.

"You said near future…which means, THERE'S HOPE!"

"In any case, going back to our previous _serious_ topic of conversation, you didn't let me finish. I don't believe that the Battousai actually loved Kaoru. There was plenty of love in their relationship, but it was all one-sided. But I can guarantee one thing: _something_ kept him rooted here for the time that he actually stayed. There was some sort of quality in Kaoru that the Battousai was attached to, but I have no idea what it might have been. Is it possible that he loved what she had to offer him and not her? Very. But once he realized the consequences of what he had done, fleeing was his only option."

"I'm the product of sin. I feel so honored. So, what's the moral of this story?" Reiko questioned.

"Your father was a very captivating person, Reiko. He was able to bend us all to his will quite easily, and we followed him with a blind devotion I now cringe because of upon remembering it," Megumi answered calmly.

"Ah…so my father was basically a walking disease, a plague that manifested itself into everyone he met," she speculated. "And he's the type of disease that never dissipates, isn't he? There's no cure for the mark he made on any of our lives."__

"A charming thought," Megumi remarked sarcastically. _Little does Megumi realize that the Battousai is still very much around… _Reiko thought cynically. _Whether he is physically alive right now is irrelevant, for he lives on inside of _me._ I'm the testament to his existence. He may have disappeared and died as far as the rest of Japan is concerned, but he left me to finish his life's effort. But I won't. I won't become you, Battousai. I don't care how many of your enemies track me down. I won't become the monster you are! I refuse to! _The strange thing about Reiko's mind was, however, that she always added to both sides of an argument. _…I'm a fool. I truly believe that I can avoid becoming the Battousai. I've failed to realize that it's already too late. I completely wasted Ikeda. And I _enjoyed _it. That "amber" look in my eyes, as they all called it, was very much present. And I can find the perfect word to illustrate the expression. It was bloodlust in my eyes, for I thoroughly enjoyed being the one to deliver the ass-kicking they all received. Well then, Battousai. It's your wish for me to become you? Your genes seem to be too powerful for me to fight them. All right. You'll get your wish. I'm too far gone to fight the instincts you planted within me. I'll acquire all of your skills and personality traits. And then I'll track you down, Battousai. I'll track you down and make you know my hell and that of your victims a thousand times over!_ She resolved.

"…Megumi…I've been curious for a while…can you tell me about the day he left?" Reiko asked after a moment had elapsed.

"Well, that was the day Shinta Wakamaru chose to attack us in an effort to get to your father. He and Sano were off gambling, and Wakamaru kidnapped Yahiko and myself first. Yahiko tried to fend him off, but his skills back then were no match for him. Although today, I'm sure Yahiko could've sent Wakamaru to Kingdom Come without suffering so much as a scratch," Megumi recounted, a slight hint of pride in her voice.

"Well, Yahiko _is_ far more skilled in the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu than I ever plan to be," Reiko told her indifferently.

"Is that so?" Megumi asked skeptically, wondering just what Reiko meant by that comment.

"Hai. Where was my mother when all this was happening?" Megumi looked reluctant. "Well?"

"She was…throwing up."

"What? Why…?" Reiko said, but the second word was barely audible, for she had already ascertained the answer to that question. She had picked up quite a few bits of medical knowledge from those long hours in Megumi's clinic.

Megumi's voice attained a harsher tone that she intended when she resumed speaking. "Think, Reiko. This was the very day your father left and never came back. Your mother was retching in the yard when Shinta Wakamaru arrived because she was pregnant with you."

"Mind if I sit here?" Sanosuke asked a sulking Yahiko once he managed to locate his whereabouts. He had chosen a pretty poor place to mope around in, for there were plenty of people near the bridge they were both currently standing beneath. Yahiko grunted in reply, and Sanosuke interpreted it as a positive answer.

Picking up a stray stone and tossing it into the water, Yahiko mumbled, "They've sent you to be the mediator? Is Megumi out of her mind?"

"I was wondering the same thing. So, Yahiko, what exactly is your problem? I mean, we have plenty of dilemmas, what with Kaoru and Reiko not speaking to one another. Where do you go off acting like you're the one who's suffering the most out of all of us?" Sanosuke asked angrily.

"You never became a diplomat, Sano, and do us all a favor. Never do."

Sanosuke blinked. Normally, Yahiko would've made some stupid remark in retaliation to a speech like that and would've bitten Sanosuke's head or something of the like, all in a blind rage, but he had reacted far too distantly. _Damn…he must be more depressed than either of us realized…_ Sanosuke thought.

"You're dodging my question. Shockingly. Your skills at dodging blows at the age of ten are normally more impressive, and we _know_ how awesome your skills were back then," Sanosuke said mockingly. "What's the matter?"

Yahiko sighed. "It's no big deal, really. It's just…I thought…maybe…you know what, Sano, you've never committed to anything in your life, so I don't think you're the best person for me to tell."

Sanosuke gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. "That…was a joke, right?" he asked. "I mean, _I've_ never committed to anything?! I still wear the symbol for bad on my back, even after all the years since the Sekihoutai disbanded, as a mark of my loyalty to my past, and you're telling me that I can't commit?! I was willing to ditch all of you for the sake of the Sekihoutai!"

"Sanosuke, that just makes you a weenie who is afraid of change," Yahiko answered, sticking out his tongue.

"Oh yeah, that's the mature way for a twenty-year-old to behave!" Sanosuke affirmed. "And you still haven't told me why you're so depressed."

"You'd laugh."

"I'd do no such thing! If it was funny, I'd chuckle."

"Sanosuke," Yahiko said firmly, his tone indicating that all humor had evaporated from their conversation.

"What is it, Yahiko? Are you ill? Are you going to prison?"  
"No…it's just…I…well, you see…I kind of…well…"

"Spit it out!"

"I asked Tsubame to marry me," he said all in one breath. Sanosuke openly gaped at him. "Well…that's better than overt laughter."

"Damn, Yahiko, I've been waiting for this moment for years! It's about time!" Sanosuke stood and slapped Yahiko on the back. "Way to go!"

"What the _hell_, Sano?! How can I possibly get married when Reiko and Kaoru are so pissed at each other?! What right have I to be happy when everyone around me is miserable?!" Yahiko shouted. "And let's not get started on the problems you and Megumi have…"

"I think we've more or less solved those," Sanosuke said with a wink.

"Do I want to know what that wink means?"  
"Don't be such a pervert, Yahiko. What that means is Megumi and I have a more complicated relationship now, and we still argue like hell, but on the bright side, we've actually admitted that we like being around each other," Sanosuke explained.

"You've always liked being around each other. You two would dive in front of oncoming bullets for each other!" he said, laughing. "Damn, Sano, I've been waiting for this moment for years! It's about time! Way to go!" To further mimic Sanosuke and get on his nerves, Yahiko slapped him on the back approvingly. Sanosuke mumbled incoherently, for which Yahiko was thankful, since he didn't think he really wanted to _know_ what Sanosuke was saying.

"Anyway," Sanosuke began once he recovered his composure, "leave it to you to dramatize everything. Kaoru and Reiko will be fine in a matter of days. Besides, did Tsubame even say 'yes'?" Yahiko nodded. "Well, what, were you planning on getting married tomorrow? Get married in a few months! By then, everyone will be fine."

"If you say so." Sanosuke rolled his eyes and punched Yahiko lightly on his head. "Hey!"

"Get out of this pathetic state of depression, Yahiko! You and Tsubame will get married. Trust me, you might end up thinking that the day came too soon," Sanosuke said sagely. "Besides, we need more sane people on our side in the final stages of the little confrontation going on in the dojo."

Smiling, Yahiko nodded. "Yeah, I guess I was being melodramatic. I'm sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Apology not accepted, but we love you anyway," Sanosuke said lightheartedly.

Reiko and Megumi sat in absolute silence, Megumi watching Reiko as she allowed her statement to fully register. _I'm sorry, Reiko…you must be feeling immeasurable guilt right now. But there was no avoiding that little factor in this story,_ Megumi thought.

After another silent, uneasy moment, Reiko let out a wry chuckle. "Why the tone with that comment, Auntie Megumi? Is it _my_ guilt you were trying to bring about? I refuse to accept my mother's condition as being _my_ fault. If anything, don't try to invoke any pity or empathy in me when it comes to that. Her pregnancy was the Battousai's fault, yes, but hers as well. I hate him not for causing my conception, but for leaving because of it," Reiko explained. "Her retching was as much her fault as anyone else's."

"You slightly blame Kaoru for what happened, don't you?" Megumi asked weakly.

"Of course not, Megumi! I understand that I'm not the kindest person, but I'm not completely heartless. However, I _do_ think it's partially her fault that I was conceived. It's not as though he forced himself upon her. From what you told me, she loved him, even if it was pathetic unrequited love. This idiotic infatuation with him, I cannot blame her for. Nor can I blame her for the insanity she experienced when he left. Mom needed someone to depend on…someone to be her protector, someone who upheld her and kept her will to live in existence. She thought she found these qualities in _him_, and so relied on him so _completely_ that life without him seemed unbearable. I know that she lived a hard life, and I can't blame her for needing someone like that." Reiko sighed. "No…I don't blame her for anything else…"

"If you don't blame her for her infatuation, why call it idiotic?"

"Because it was. _Why_ did she have to experience such an utterly _blind_ attachment to him? If he didn't love her…she would've been able to see that. But she was so trusting and in such a complete state of denial that she didn't see it, or pretended not to. But enough speculation on who was right and who should be strung up and stoned to death."

"…we never mentioned stoning or stringing anyone up."

"Yeah…well…me thinking, us mentioning, same thing. Continue with the story."

"Yes, well, since she was vomiting when Wakamaru found her, I'm assuming he supposed that she was pregnant. Either that…or sick. But either way, if the Battousai knew that 'his woman' was in danger, Wakamaru assumed that he would come running. And come running he did.

"The Battousai showed up at the docks—the meeting place Wakamaru had appointed—alone, without Sano. Sano stayed back to keep the dojo from burning to the ground, for Wakamaru had decided to set it on fire because of his twisted desire to appeal to your father's dark side."

"I love how you imply that there was some part of him that _wasn't_ dark, Megumi-dono. Unless dark side refers to my charming daddy being a pyromaniac?"

Megumi laughed, although Reiko could sense that she did more to mask her obvious distress than because she thought Reiko's comment was humorous. "Your father showed up where Wakamaru had taken us and…well…for lack of a better description, kicked his ass. We all returned to the dojo, and as your mother had passed out shortly after the attack, I immediately began tending to her. Sanosuke was the last person to speak to your father before he left. Funny…it rained steadily as he abandoned us…"

"Did he give any reasons for leaving?"

"No."

"Hmmph. I'm not surprised," Reiko remarked. "So at this point in the story, the Battousai ran away. I know of Mom's long term reaction, but how did she respond immediately?"

At this inquiry, Megumi was absolutely silent. Of course, judging from the beads of sweat rolling down Megumi's cheek, Reiko could easily infer that her hesitance to answer was not a result of not knowing. "I can plainly see that you know the answer to my question, so just tell me."

"Hai, Reiko, I know the answer quite well…being that I was the first to notice it…but I don't know if…if…"

"Do not fret about my reaction to your answer, Megumi. After what I've already found out, do you honestly think that _anything_ can shock me?" Reiko asked nonchalantly.

"Reiko, this isn't a joke. Out of all the revelations that have been made, this one will be the hardest for you to bear. Do you truly believe that you're ready to know?" Megumi asked seriously. _She shouldn't have to know…this'll only make her hate Kaoru. But she has a right to know, and I don't think I could ever sit down and persuade myself to explain anything to her yet again in the future. Now is the only chance for her to find out. If I don't tell her now, the best way I know how, someone else might do it. _Megumi thought miserably. _Either way, I'm in too deep already. The only way out is to lie, and she'll only be that much angrier when someone else tells her, revealing the fact that I was too gutless to tell her the truth. I'm sorry, Reiko, but whether you're ready or not, you're about to learn something about both your past and your mother's that might be incredibly repulsive._

"Megumi, enough postponing the inevitable. What was my mom's—"

"She attempted suicide," Megumi interjected quickly. Reiko's arms—which until this point had been folded over her chest—fell limply at her sides.

"She…what?" Reiko murmured weakly.

"She stabbed herself in the abdomen, thereby endangering your life as well as hers. You said that Kaoru needed someone to lean on, lest she would lose the will to live. Rei-chan, you were completely correct. Kaoru lost that someone, and no longer saw the meaning to her life," Megumi went on. "But that's a very dangerous way of thinking, Reiko. Not one single person's life is meaningless." _Don't become a vicious murderer like the Battousai, Reiko, for you must realize…the people he killed had lives, and he tore those asunder as well as the lives of the ones they held dear._

Reiko said no more but instead rose and began to make her way out of the room.

"Reiko, where is it that you are headed?"

"Out," Reiko replied simply.

"I can see that," Megumi said distastefully. "But as your guardian, I have a right to know where you're going. In fact, I'd call it more of an obligation than a right."

"Megumi, you just told me that my mother attempted to kill me yet another time besides the incident that occurred a month ago, and this time was eight months before I my birth," Reiko spat bitterly. "I don't _know_ where I'm going after hearing a statement like that, although you can be sure that I wouldn't tell you either way."

"Allow me to remind you, Reiko, that you stated oh-so-confidently that you'd be able to hear me out without the slightest amount of shock afterward. And this was the response to _your_ question! Are you saying that I sprung this on you with no prior warning?!" Megumi cried.

"I'm saying nothing," Reiko said as she stepped over the threshold, her voice completely impassive.

"Reiko, our conversation is not yet over! Don't just walk away!" Megumi shouted after her. Infuriatingly silent, Reiko simply sped up her pace as she trod upon the floors of the dojo that she had called home for eight years. It was amazing how floors whose every crack she had memorized suddenly seemed so foreign to her… _I no longer belong here… _She thought. _I'm the outsider. I'm the one who shouldn't have been born. After all, my mother tried to kill me twice. She bore me against her own will, of that I can be certain. But who can blame her? I could hardly expect her to _want_ to carry the child of a man she trusted so wholly, who in turn betrayed her so unreservedly. _As she approached the dojo's entrance, she awaited the onslaught of tears she was certain were only a moment away. But despite her tormented mind and her completely obscure thoughts, the tears wouldn't come. She was no longer the girl who crawled up in her own miserable little corner and wept to her heart's content. No matter how intense her misery got, no matter how pointless her existence seemed to her, she would not give way to tears any longer. _And why should I cry? My mother hates me. But that hate is not unwarranted, so I have no right to hold it against her. She's suffered far worse than I have, and I look so much like the Battousai that she sees _him_ every time she lays her eyes upon _me. Reiko thought, before scoffing. _All of his victims see him when they look at me. You haven't even granted me my own persona, Battousai. Is there no limit to what you'll take from me? First my innocence, then my happiness, then—albeit indirectly—my life, and worst of all…my identity. Even the dead usually have names carved into their tombstones. But the name "Reiko Kamiya" will be utterly meaningless when carved into my tombstone as of yet, for I am nothing more than your exact duplicate._ By this time, Reiko had already reached the door. As she prepared to walk outside, she both expected and dreaded the cheerful sunlight she would be met with. But as she walked into the yard, preparing herself for the squinting she would undoubtedly have to contend with as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, she realized that the weather had changed from earlier in the day. There was not one inch of blue sky to be seen, for dull, desolate clouds stretched as far as Reiko could see and beyond.

Reiko was pulled out of her sky-gazing as Megumi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ready to come back and talk again now, Reiko?" she asked gently. Reiko forcefully shoved Megumi's hand away.

"I shouldn't have spent so much time hesitating before running out of this damn place," Reiko said aloud, although she knew she was reprimanding herself. "No, I'm not ready to come back and talk again." She held no grudges for anyone but the Battousai, and yet she didn't want to return. Despite the rage she was positive Megumi would feel, Reiko turned around without another word and sped off down the road.

"REIKO! GET BACK HERE!" Grinning to herself, Reiko continued running, not quite sure where she was so boldly headed but feeling insanely pleased with herself nonetheless.

_Hmm…the docks…not my favorite place to be…but they'll do. _Reiko noted as she finally stopped walking. The area was devoid of any of the usual onlookers, for they probably came to the realization that rain was not long in coming. Even many of the workers were beginning to make haste, those with families probably eager to return to them and those without probably eager to find shelter. _Family…_ Reiko thought, smiling bemusedly. _What I have can only be called a makeshift family. Makeshift…a lot like the useless sword Hiko broke._

"Oi!" someone called, interrupting Reiko's reflection. She glanced up and was met with a middle-aged man's penetrating gaze. "Don't just stand there like your legs are made of lead! Move it! We've got loads more work left, and we'd like to be finished before we're soaked through to the bone!" _What, does he think I'm a worker?_ Reiko wondered blankly, looking back at him through half-lidded eyes. "Am I speaking gibberish or something? Get off the docks! What's a little girl like you doing out without her daddy, anyway? That's dangerous, you know! You can never tell the psychopaths apart from the normal human beings!"

"In that case, you're secure. You _did_ say that psychopaths appear to be normal human beings at first glance, so I'm not at all worried about you being a psycho," Reiko answered smartly with her trademark grin.

"Yeah, yeah, real cute," the man answered, rolling his eyes noticeably. After shoving Reiko off the docks and onto the beach, he shouted some incoherent command at one of the other workers and returned to his own task.

Collapsing onto her back in the middle of the beach, Reiko sighed and stared up at the sky. It wasn't at all a distraught sigh, but rather a content one. Reiko felt too at peace with herself, taking into account what had just transpired in the dojo. But as she lay spread-eagled on her back, she felt a kind of serenity throughout her whole being that she had not felt for years. Listening to the waves lapping against the shore, Reiko knew that the tranquility she now experienced would be short-lived. _I can hardly stay here forever…_ She told herself silently. But for now, she had no obligations, no responsibilities to carry out. Not even the oncoming storm could stir her from that spot.

After a period of ten minutes or so, steady drops of rain began to beat against Reiko's body. The commotion close by intensified, the dock's workers eager to finish their chores before the storm could get any stronger. Reiko, quite unlike the rest of the people around her, welcomed the steadily worsening downpour. After all, what was a little fall of rain compared to the raining blood her soul was awash in? The torrent of water felt refreshing as she remained there, unmoving…

…until she could no longer feel any drops beating against her face.

"Oro?" she murmured, opening her eyes. The gray sky was not to be seen, for her view was interrupted by a plain white umbrella being held above her head.

"Having fun, Kamiya-san?" its owner asked, his voice slightly perplexed. Reiko propped herself up on her elbows and glanced at the speaker.

"Oh, it's you, Yagami," she said sourly.

"Care to get up, or would you like to lay there for the rest of your life?"

"I'd rather lay here, thanks." Shaking his head, Satoshi bent down and grabbed Reiko's arm, pulling her up.

"Not unless you'd like to catch pneumonia, you wouldn't," he remarked.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Reiko asked, exasperated. "Do you commonly take strolls when a typhoon is raging outside?"

"Do you?"

"…" Reiko was silent, unable to find anything to say in response to his inquiry.

"I thought so," he said, smiling. His smile, as Reiko was shocked to find, lacked any detectable arrogance.

"…you don't get any enjoyment out of putting people in their place?" she asked, bewildered.

"Of course I do," he said, kneeling so that his face was just in front of Reiko's. (He _was_ a head taller than she was, after all.) "It's just difficult to tell with me. It's called craftiness, Kamiya. Ever thought of getting your hands on some?"

"And I was just about to comment on how you _lack_ arrogance," Reiko answered dryly. Satoshi straightened.

"I resent that! I'm not arrogant! Just selectively…proud. Besides, I'm a swordsman. A swordsman with an ego is worthless," Satoshi retorted.

"You'd be worthless without an ego, too," Reiko said, grinning.

"Aren't you just a bright ray of sunshine?"

"We need some sunshine when the weather's this crappy, ne?" Reiko countered. Satoshi laughed.

"You really have _no_ tact! Honestly, you were just lying in the rain getting soaked to your skin. You obviously don't think this is crappy weather," he said. "Anyway, I'll walk you home."

"And why would I need an escort?" Reiko asked, Satoshi's seemingly-sincere smile unnerving her greatly.

"Never said you did. But we should both be getting home since the storm's worsening, and we're also in the way of the workers," Satoshi whispered, indicating them with a tilt of his head.

"Damn, I didn't realize we'd wandered onto the docks!"

"Now, now. I _know_ I'm just that captivating," Satoshi boasted.

"Yagami…if you truly value your life, you will cease speaking," Reiko suggested pointedly.

"What, they'll sentence me to execution for it?" Reiko rolled her eyes in frustration and began walking away from him, quickening her pace by a small fraction with each new step. Once she was finally off the docks and on the road, she turned in the direction opposite the one leading to Kamiya dojo. "Oi! Kamiya!"

"What, Yagami?!" Reiko snapped, halting.

"You don't live in that direction."

"…yes I do."

"Don't bother. I know the direction you go in when you head home after school, and this isn't it."

"This is a completely different part of Tokyo. How do you know that this truly _isn't_ the right direction?"

"Because this one leads to a completely different part of town, Reiko," he snapped. When Reiko was silent, he added, "You're about to lie to me."

"I just…don't want to go home, that's all," Reiko murmured. Satoshi obviously sensed the distress in her voice and approached her, all trace of humor and cheerfulness gone from his expression and his voice once he spoke.

"What's wrong? Did your parents get into a fight or something?" Reiko found herself wondering why he would automatically assume that this was the reason for her melancholy, and then stumbled upon a realization. _I'm really different from normal kids, aren't I?_ She thought, fighting a sigh. After all, a fight between their parents was something that greatly terrified young children. Reiko never really had discord in her home, so it wasn't something she was all too familiar with…until now.

"Well, it's difficult for your parents to get into a fight when you don't have a father, now isn't it?" Reiko asked him. Satoshi's gaze adjusted towards the ground immediately.

"Your father…died?"

"You could say that."

"It's all right. My mom's been dead for two years," Satoshi said softly. He walked in front of Reiko and lowered his umbrella, staring up at the sky and allowing the drops of rain to beat against his face. "She's the reason I come here. She used to take me here frequently. Every time I was upset, my mom would bring me here and watching the waves always seemed to pacify me. This was the place I always ran to when something was wrong, the place she always knew I'd be when she came looking."

"You sound like you care for her a lot…" Reiko observed, and for a moment, she envied him. Reiko wasn't capable of caring for someone who was already dead, as the Battousai had been to her for the duration of her life. Of course, Reiko felt deep-seated loathing for her father now, but prior to that, she never felt anything. She knew what a father was, and yet she felt no regret that he was dead. At times she felt the need for someone to protect and comfort her, but that was the extent of how much she longed for a father. There existed some sort of empty cavity within her up until June of 1888, and on the day she discovered who her father truly was, it had been filled with sheer, utter abhorrence.

"I do," Satoshi answered. "When did your father die?"

"Before I was born. I never met him, so I suppose it's easier for me to accept that he's dead," Reiko said with a shrug.

"I don't really think that's true…I, at least, have memories of my mother to sustain me. What do you have?" Reiko was absolutely silent, and Satoshi immediately said apologetically, "I'm sorry! That was a really insensitive thing to say. I have no right to—"

"It's all right, Yagami. I don't miss my father. I don't care that I don't have a single memory of him," Reiko said indifferently.

"Well, in that case…" He went up behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and began pushing her in the direction opposite the one she wished to go in.

"Yagami, you're pushing me towards my house, you're still holding the umbrella, and it's sort of digging into my flesh," Reiko pointed out. "How much more discomfort do you wish to cause me?!"

Satoshi withdrew. "I'm not pushing you towards _your_ house, I'm pushing you towards mine!" he said happily. "I need someone to keep me company while my dad goes through his daily rants about how I spend all of his money on swords and other such equipment!"

By this time, Reiko had already opened her mouth to protest, but immediately changed her choice of words to acquiesce. "Swords? YOU HAVE SWORDS?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO EARLIER, YOU HALF-ASSED TWIT?! LEAD THE WAY!" Reiko shouted. Dashing forward, Reiko failed to notice a small and wet boulder protruding slightly from the ground, leading her to slip on it and fall face first into the mud. Passing by, Satoshi failed to stifle his hysterical laughter.

"I guess I'll have to lend you some of my brother's clothes…he's scrawny too, so they should fit you," Satoshi said as Reiko sat up. Glaring, she kicked him in the back of his knee, causing him to lose his balance and come crashing down into the mud right beside her.

"And I guess I'll lend you the clothes that are too big on me. They should fit your delicate, feminine build. Satoshi-dono, honestly, a gi and hakama looks so out of place on you!" Reiko answered with a devious smile.

"…that was cold."

"And not undeserved."

"But you _are_ scrawny!"

"And you _are_ feminine!" Reiko knew it was the highest insult she could give to a boy, but took great satisfaction in using on Satoshi—even if she _was_ insulting her own gender in the process. She got to her feet and extended a hand to him. Pouting slightly, he took it and rose.

And throughout the whole walk to Satoshi's house, the talking and throwing insults at each other, Reiko failed to realize that she was committing what she considered a heinous crime—she was allowing herself to become close to another human being. Every single person she'd ever trusted had ended up betraying her in one way or another. Minako was the only person she still trusted slightly, but there would surely be a deep rift between them in due time, after what Reiko had revealed and what she still intended to do. Besides, she sensed that there was some sort of instability within Minako, something that made her deeply forlorn, and until Minako would be able to come to terms with the negativity she felt about herself, she wouldn't be able to grasp Reiko's position in the right perspective. After all, people who are too preoccupied with their own destitution can never understand someone else's.

But Satoshi…though he had suffered his own tribulations, they didn't cloud his reasoning. He seemed genuinely concerned, lacking his own personal vendetta when he helped a fellow individual. He sent her curiosity into a frenzy, for Reiko couldn't fathom _why_ he seemed so self-sacrificing. After all, he hadn't done much to help her. But perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't been shown an act of kindness in so long that a simple gift such as an umbrella over her head on a rainy day seemed inexplicably considerate.

_Why am I so happy, anyway?_ She wondered as they walked and Satoshi blabbered about something. _And back at the beach…why did I feel so…calm? It's as though I know exactly what I have to do and as though my thoughts are completely organized. I ran from the dojo in a state of utter turmoil but now… _Her thoughts trailed off for a moment as her mind put two and two together. Back at the beach, lying in the sand as the rain beat against her relentlessly, Reiko experienced a moment of complete lucidity. _It's what I've wanted to do all along…I reached a conclusion earlier that the way for me to defeat you will be to use your own technique against you. If I succeed in mastering Hiten Mitsurugi…it's that simple. The idea was hidden in the far recesses of my mind, but it was always there. There's only one way I can truly exact vengeance upon you, and I've finally realized what it is._

Satoshi stopped in front of a huge, slightly westernized building and began fumbling with the gate.

"Why are you trying to break into some government building? You know they'll shoot you on the spot, right?" Reiko asked lazily.

"This isn't just some government building, Kamiya," Satoshi said matter-of-factly. "I live here."

"You live in a government building?"  
"THIS ISN'T A GOVERNMENT BUILDING!" Satoshi barked. "It's my house."

"Y-yagami…WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE RICH?!"

Pushing the gate open forcefully, Satoshi answered, "You never asked. Besides, there's nothing much to tell. My dad's in politics. And that's pretty much all I know. He keeps trying to convince me to sit down and listen to him explain exactly what he does since he thinks I'm going to take over for him one day, but he fails to get that I really couldn't give a damn about what he does for a living and have no intention of ever becoming a politician. The Meiji government hasn't done crap for the people of Japan, and I don't want to become associated with that."

Reiko smiled slightly. "You and my uncle Sanosuke would get along great." The comment didn't seem to register on Satoshi, however, for it appeared as though he was bracing himself.

"Er…I suggest you just block out the next several things my father says," he advised, pushing the door open.

As soon as they were inside, a cacophonous voice assaulted their ears. "Satoshi Yagami, where in Kami-sama's name have you been?! It's been hours since you left!"

"It's been _one_ hour, dad, _one_hour!" Satoshi corrected loudly.

"You know I have plenty on my plate without you running off! Do you know the problems you'd cause if you got kidnapped?!"

"Not really. One less mouth to feed, no?"

"I'm not done, Satoshi!" he snapped. Then he glanced at the servants in the room, some of whom had startled expressions on their faces. "Leave us!" Mr. Yagami ordered them. The servants scurried from the room like frightened rodents, a scenario that made Reiko want to chuckle. She turned to leave as well, but Satoshi latched onto her arm firmly.

"I don't see what the big deal is. I have every right to go for a walk once in a while. Besides, you weren't even here when I left!"

"Hideki was here and he said you left hours ago."

"Hideki can't even count!" Satoshi shouted venomously. Furious, Mr. Yagami kicked Satoshi in his side.

"Don't you dare blame your brother for your shortcomings, Satoshi!" (A/N: SHORTCOMINGS! From THE list. (grins pointedly at Penny))

"Yeah, yeah, perfect Hideki. Go forge some papers and make it seem as though _he's_ your oldest son! I know you wish he was born first! That way he could be your heir and you could completely cast me aside! It's what you want, isn't it? Hideki would make a far better politician. Hey, he's got one skill a politician needs—the kid can sure lie well," Satoshi retorted. "And let's just get down to the heart of the matter! It's not me leaving that's pissing you off, it's the fact that I deliberately went against your wishes and spent most of the day practicing swordsmanship! Kami-sama knows you have enough money to spare on a few pieces of metal to make your son happy, so why do you have to constantly nag about it?" In response, Mr. Yagami grabbed Satoshi by the collar of his gi.

"I have a better question. Just what did you do when you went for that stroll, frolicked in the mud for several hours like some sort of peasant?" he asked, finally noticing Satoshi's mud-stained attire.

"This was an accident," Satoshi grumbled. Mr. Yagami studied him carefully, and then fixed his incensed stare on Reiko.

"So this is what you do when you go out for 'strolls?'" he asked coldly. "Pick random tramps off the street?"

At that comment, Reiko's hand instinctively moved to grasp the bokuto she unconsciously knew would not be there. Upon discovering that she was attempting to clasp air, she clenched her fists instead.

"Tramp?" she said huskily, wrenching her hand out of Satoshi's grasp. "I don't care if you _are_ some big-shot politician! Nothing gives you the right to speak that way about someone you don't know!"

"A peasant with an attitude?" Mr. Yagami asked with an amused smile plastered on his face.

Shoving Satoshi aside, Reiko said calmly, "If there's one thing about this era that's supposed to make sense, it's that human beings—people—can no longer be separated into classes. This is an era of equality, even though I know the pigs in the government fail to realize that. You lost the right to call me peasant and/or tramp, Yagami-dono, in 1868. Rather than bitching at your son, you should open up a history book and read up on what's been going on for the past twenty years. Evidently, you've been in a state of oblivion all this time."

At first, a look of absolute loathing overtook Satoshi's father's features. After a silent moment passed by, the look eased into a triumphant smirk.

"Hey, dad, I don't think you're granted the right to smile when you've lost an argument," Satoshi remarked. Mr. Yagami ignored him and, instead, spoke to Reiko.

"Dear child, if anything, a history book would not help me in knowing about the events taking place within this nation. Even simple-minded fools such as yourself should've realized by now that a truly wise country would never put _every _aspect of its history in print for other countries to read and embellish."

"Why?" Reiko questioned, sneering. "Because there are scandals within the government that put even Makoto Shishio's conspiracy to shame?"

Astonished, Mr. Yagami asked, "How do you know about that? There are few people who know that Shishio did not die during the Boshin War! It took a good deal of research and bribery on _my_ part to find out!"

"They must value your contribution to the government, then, if no one bothered to tell you," Reiko retaliated spitefully.

"Wait, Makoto Shishio?" Satoshi interrupted. "The guy the government set on fire? Don't tell me he _lived_ through that!"

"Hai, and he not only lived through it, he launched a plan to overthrow the feeble government that then controlled Japan and still does," Reiko said.

"Not another word," Mr. Yagami said frigidly. "You utter _one more syllable_ and I will have you thrown out of here like a sack of trash."

"Don't you worry, I'll leave of my own accord," she replied coolly, turning to exit the way she and Satoshi had entered.

"Forget it, Reiko. He may be master of this household, but plain decency should coerce him into allowing you to get what you came here for," Satoshi said firmly, blocking her path. "Now follow me." Much to both children's surprise, Mr. Yagami didn't express another word as Satoshi led Reiko to Hideki's room.

Hideki giggled once he saw Satoshi's dirt-covered clothes. "Onii-san, you look like a piggy!"

"Ignore him," Satoshi murmured, heeding his own advice and making his way toward Hideki's closet. "He's six, annoying, and horribly naïve."

"I'm not annoying!" Hideki protested.

"May I bring you something?" the maid in the room asked Reiko politely. Reiko stared at her for a moment, wondering whom she was addressing. "Miss?"

"You're talking to me?" Reiko asked, incredulous.

"Of course. You're the young master's guest!" she answered. After studying Reiko's attire, she suggested, "Some wet cloth, perhaps?"

"I don't want to intrude or any—"

"Just accept it, Reiko," Satoshi interjected. "Atsuko-san, ignore her declination and bring it to her."

"'-san,'"? Reiko inquired with a raised eyebrow, advancing toward Satoshi. "You take this equality thing seriously, don't you?"

"Of course. I may as well try to prove that not _everyone _who has something to do with the government is a hypocrite," he replied. Then he asked Hideki, "Which clothes don't you wear anymore?"

"Why?" his younger brother asked, sliding off the chair in front of his desk. "You have clothes, onii-san."

"They're not for me," he said in return. "They're for her."

Hideki studied Reiko for a few seconds before saying, "You're pretty. Are you Satoshi's wife?" Reiko glared at him menacingly.

"Don't be a baka, Hideki. I'm eight, and so is she. Reiko's just a friend of mine." Satoshi was still going through the contents of Hideki's closet.

"Our mommy was pretty too, Reiko," Hideki said, grabbing Reiko's hand and bringing her closer to the dresser. "I'll find something nice for you."

"Er…thanks. And Yagami?"

"Hmm?"

"Refrain from calling me Reiko unless there's a –sama attached to it."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I would _own_ you in swordsmanship." Satoshi chuckled wryly.

"Care to test that out?" he asked, smirking.

Reiko responded evenly, with a sly smirk of her own. "Feeling particularly brazen today, Yagami, or just stupid?"

"You accept, then?" Satoshi asked instead of answering.

"I don't like picking on those weaker than me, but for you, Yagami-dono, I'll make an exception."

"Um…Reiko-sama?" Hideki asked tentatively, holding out a magenta gi and a white hakama. "I've never worn it because it's a girly color…but I think it'll look nice on you." Satoshi's younger brother smiled sweetly. "If you don't like it, I can—"

"It's perfectly fine, Hideki," Reiko replied, smiling back at him sincerely. Taking the clothes from him and ruffling his hair in a display of affection Satoshi could swear he'd never seen her show before, she turned toward the elder brother. "Um…where can I change into this?"

"Well…the servants are probably cleaning the guestrooms at this time…but there's a place I know none of them ever set foot in," Satoshi answered pensively. "Follow me."

With perked up interest, Reiko trailed him as he led her to a corridor that was bustling with maids. One thing, however, remained very apparent. The maids all avoided one particular door along the corridor, and it was to this door that Satoshi led her.

"The maids aren't allowed to go in here, so you're guaranteed privacy," he explained cryptically.

"Why would you forbid maids from entering a guestroom?" Reiko asked, her brow slightly furrowed in perplexity.

"Young Master!" Atsuko interjected before he could reply, walking over to them swiftly. "I have the cloth you requested." She presented Reiko with the wet cloth, bowed to Satoshi, and left them to attend to her other duties.

"I don't allow any of the maids in there to clean because it was my mother's room. And still is, in a way, because everything in there has been preserved as it was before she died. I clean it myself. So, you see, it's not really a guestroom. Just my favorite room in this house," Satoshi explained quickly.

"And why are you permitting _me_ to enter?"

"I usually don't let anyone enter, but for you, I'll make an exception," he said, smiling widely.

"What was that; your spin on cruel irony?" Reiko asked dryly. Finally glancing at the cloth in her hands, she felt her lips part in an unsuppressed gasp. "This—th—it's brand new linen! Stark white linen!"

"And…?" Satoshi pressed.

"I was expecting rags."

"Please, you're my guest. Why would I make you use rags?" Satoshi brushed off her remark airily. "Besides, we have, what, seventy more of these?"

"What is this place? Heaven? Have I died?" Reiko asked incredulously.

"You're far off," Satoshi answered, twisting the handle and opening the door. As he motioned for her to enter, Reiko distinctly heard him mutter—if not to her, then to himself, "It's Hell on Earth." He shut the door behind her. "I'll be down the hall. Come see me once you're done, and we can see which of us is the better swordsman."

At that, Reiko heard his gait gradually getting quieter until he was a considerable distance away. Wiping off dirt and changing into Hideki's clothes, Reiko couldn't help but study the room acutely. The red curtains that hung from the rod above the large window caused everything to be bathed in a ruddy glow, but she could still see that everything around her looked as if it hadn't been moved in ages. She would've assumed that the room hadn't been breached for years if someone hadn't taken careful measures to keep it devoid of any dust. _Could Satoshi have done all of this?_ She wondered as she straightened out the oddly familiar-seeming gi.

"Yagami!" she called upon spotting him leaning against a wall down the hallway. He had also managed to change into cleaner attire. "Let's go." Satoshi nodded and picked up the two katana that were propped against the wall.

Noticing them, Reiko asked, "We're using actual swords?"

"What were you expecting, a bokuto? I don't like them that much. Besides, you claim you're pretty skilled. So let's see how well we can both do with a katana," Satoshi responded. _Kuso._ Reiko thought over and over again. _I've never even held a real sword. Well, how hard can it be? You hold it the same way you hold a bokuto, so I should be fine._ She couldn't explain why she felt so confident about her abilities as a swordsman, especially after having had to resort to such a mundane method of fighting as that of using her fists.

"Here we are," Satoshi's voice broke into her thoughts as he led her to an underground room and switched on a light, illuminating a large gymnasium. "I don't really like using this place, but since it's still raining I figured it's best if you don't soak your dry clothes." He walked inside, Reiko close behind, and tossed her one of the swords once they were situated a few meters from one another.

Reiko stretched out her arm, preparing to catch the sword, but felt her face darken once her hand and sword made contact.

She couldn't lift it.

_I should've known. What am I going to do now? What good is a sword to me if I can't even pick it up? _The katana's weight had pulled her to the ground and she stood there, transfixed by the sword, as she made feeble attempts to move it even an inch off the ground.__

"So you _do_ have a sense of humor," Satoshi commented. "Now stop fooling around and get into your stance." But as he watched her failed tries at picking the sword up, it became more and more evident that Reiko was not, in fact, fooling around. "Reiko…" Satoshi said gently, approaching her. "You've never used a real sword before, have you?"

"Sure I have," she answered, making one final stab at raising it off the ground.

"Don't lie. You should've told me. I wouldn't have suggested sparring," he went on.

"Oh, shut up and stop being so apologetic. It's my fault for being an arrogant idiot and thinking that I could do something perfectly from my first try!" she snapped at him. "Don't give me false words of sympathy. I don't need them."

"Reiko!" Satoshi said exasperatedly. "I can help you develop enough strength to be able to hold it! And anyway, a lot of it's in the mind. You've just become accustomed to using a very light sword. Look." He bent down and unsheathed the sword, leaving both the katana and the sheath on the floor. "Grasp the katana as you would a bokuto and I'll do the rest."

Feeling rather irked at having to take orders from her peer, Reiko did as he bid her anyway. "Like this?" she asked.

"Yes. Exactly." He went around her and took the sword in his hands as well, his arms on either side of her. "Now, I'll help you lift it." With Satoshi aiding her, Reiko easily picked the katana up. "I'm going to let go, and see if you can hold it up once it's actually off the ground."

He did, but Reiko found that she couldn't hold it up for longer than a few seconds, having to jump back to avoid getting hit by the sword as it plummeted to the ground.

"Well, that was better than before," Satoshi remarked with approval in his voice. "Let's try again." They repeated the process for hours until Reiko had exercised her arms enough to be able to hold it and cope with the weight. "Great!" Satoshi said upon noticing how much she had improved since her first attempt. "You'll be able to use it now."

By the time they had finished, it was dark outside and the rain still hadn't ceased. As Reiko walked under a borrowed umbrella, she felt an overwhelming joy at having been able to learn so quickly. True, she had quite a few bruises and a painful cut under her left eye from sparring, but she hadn't felt so optimistic in ages. _I'll be lucky if I'm a quick study when it comes to the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu, and if Hiko's as patient as Satoshi was, _she thought. Unconsciously, Reiko had accepted him as a friend, although she was too stubborn to admit that she had truly valued his company throughout the day. _It's a bit strange that I find the rain so calming, though. Because it's funny how many instances there were where I should've died but didn't, and the rain reminds of that. Fate has been throwing me into the line of fire constantly, but I pull through each time. It's something that was manifested into me before my birth, when my mother nearly ended both of our lives. She stabbed herself directly in the abdomen. I _should've_ died. But I didn't. Then there was my encounter with Fujitaka Wakamaru. The man possessed far more skill than I did, but I managed to somehow outwit him for a moment. But even if he didn't kill me directly, the raging sea should've once he threw me in. And, by some bizarre twist of fate, Sanosuke came just in time to rescue me. Even then, I didn't die. It rained steadily both times. What'll happen to me now, I wonder?_

Satoshi sat in his father's study as he stood by the window, looking outside with a strangely satisfied grin on his face.

"You look awfully happy, 'tou-san, which can only mean that someone else is miserable, or will soon be," Satoshi said coldly.

"I'd never expect you to find yourself a girlfriend with qualities that are actually admirable, Satoshi," his father responded simply.

Rolling his eyes, Satoshi shouted, "Do you and Hideki have one-track minds or something?! Reiko's not my girlfriend! What the hell is this, the Sengoku Jidai?! Two people of opposite genders can be friends without any of that!"

"You need to learn not to get riled up about nearly everything, Satoshi. Your future co-workers will be able to see right through you."

Satoshi groaned. "I _told_ you that I'm not taking over your position once I come of age! I refuse to be your heir!"

"Why, you assume that I'm giving you a choice in the matter."

"It's my life. I'm free to do as I like with it."

Yagami-san sighed. "You know, Nadeshiko was far too lenient with you. She apparently got you thinking that you have no debt to your parents," he said disappointedly.

"Don't you dare talk about mom like that! She was a far better person than you'll ever be!" he retorted, jumping up. "You're into industrialization, dad. What the hell was mom to you? A baby factory? Someone who possessed 'admirable qualities' that would give you a well-bred heir?!"

"Calm yourself, Sato-kun," Yagami-san reprimanded him, sitting at his desk and eyeing him calmly. "You may yet find Reiko useful to you."

"As a friend or a companion, maybe. But not in your sick, twisted, and manipulative way," Satoshi answered callously. "And I'm tired of listening to you. You criticize 'kaa-san when you're not even qualified to speak her name." Unwilling to listen to anymore of his father's opinions and lectures, Satoshi boldly strode out of the room.

Yagami-san smirked after him. "You'll come to value my thoughts yet, Satoshi…"

Kaoru paced anxiously by the dojo's gate, awaiting Reiko's return. Megumi had explained that Reiko ran out of the dojo earlier in a blind fury and immediately assuming that her state of being during May was the reason for it, Kaoru hadn't pressed the matter any further.

And after standing by the gate for the past several hours, Kaoru was getting increasingly more worried. Reiko had never stayed out for more than a few hours before unless it was a school day, and she'd certainly never disappeared for a full day!

Approaching footsteps forcefully pulled Kaoru out of her trance. Looking up, Kaoru saw her battered daughter calmly stepping over the threshold as if she'd only been gone for ten minutes.

Smiling a slight, contrite smile, Reiko began, "I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I didn't mean to worry y—" Reiko was unable to finish her apology, for Kaoru fell to her knees and threw her arms around her daughter, sobbing into her shoulder.

"I was so worried…I thought that…that you hated me…that you weren't ever coming back…that something terrible had happened to you! Kami-sama, I'm so glad you're safe…" Kaoru choked out in between sobs. Smiling sadly, Reiko returned the embrace.

"I might have been mad, but I could never _hate _you," Reiko said softly.

"I thought you may have gotten hurt…"

"I'm not an easy person to hurt. And I also know that no matter what happens to me, I mustn't give up. Suicide is not the answer," Reiko told her, pausing to reflect on why those words sounded so familiar.

Drying her eyes with her kimono sleeve, Kaoru stood up sharply and eyed Reiko, first with curious eyes and then with crestfallen ones. Standing there with those innocent, lavender eyes, a few bruises, and a small cut on her face, Reiko looked just as Kenshin used to when he returned from a battle—wounded, but ever the apologetic rurouni for having troubled her. She was also dressed in the exact same clothing Kenshin had worn all those years ago, the very same color combination Kaoru had always deliberately avoided buying Reiko. _I need to stop. It doesn't matter if she's exactly like him. This isn't the last time she'll look just like him, the last time she'll unearth memories that I'd prefer would remain buried._ Kaoru told herself silently. _It's not her fault I see _him_ at every turn._ Kaoru smiled slightly. _Do I even deserve her? After everything I've tried to do to her…she's still so forgiving. And…perhaps a little too forgiving._ Kaoru's disposition immediately darkened, for there was something about Reiko's words—namely, "Suicide is not the answer,"—that invoked a suspicion that Reiko knew a bit more than anyone was letting on. Putting the thought to the back of her mind for the time being, she slipped an arm around Reiko and began walking toward the dojo with her.

"Come along now. If it's no big secret, you can tell me and the others where you've been all day," Kaoru bid Reiko.

"All right. Mom, can I have food first? I'm starving," Reiko asked, for she was indeed rather famished after all the training.

"Of course. Megumi left you some of the food she made earlier."

Upon noticing the way Reiko and Kaoru entered the dojo, Sanosuke shot Yahiko a triumphant look. _Okay, okay. He was right. They look to have made up._ Yahiko thought.

"She's back," Kaoru announced. Megumi glanced up from a medical record she was currently pondering over.

"Reiko! Where in the hell have you been all day?! Yahiko was worried!" Sanosuke barked at her.

"…I was?" Yahiko inquired, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows at Sanosuke.

"You were pacing in front of the door like an expectant father, Yahiko," Sanosuke stated.

"You lying rooster, _you_ were the one doing that!" Yahiko snapped.

"So where were you all day, Reiko?" Megumi asked loudly over Yahiko and Sanosuke's bickering.

"Well…I went to the beach. Then it started to rain, and I ran into a classmate of mine named Satoshi Yagami and he offered to lend me some of his brother's clothes since mine were soaked," Reiko recounted and held out the satchel she had with her, which contained her soiled clothes.

"It took you eight hours to change into a new set of clothes?" Kaoru asked skeptically.

"Well…no."

"And where did those bruises come from?"

"That's the reason it took so long," Reiko explained sheepishly. "We also sparred. Yagami's a lot better than I am, so he won easily."

"You can't get a nasty cut like that from a bokuto, Reiko," Megumi observed. "It looks like it came from a—"

"The training room in Yagami's house had a whole bunch of katana, so when I fell, I narrowly missed getting diced into little pieces."

Without bothering to answer, Megumi glanced into the sack Reiko had handed to her and gasped. "Reiko!" she said incredulously.

"Nani?" Reiko asked wearily.

"Your clothes are covered with dried mud," Megumi went on. "How did _this_ happen?"

Reiko growled inaudibly. "Because I slipped on a rock and fell into a nice puddle of mud, both of which seemed to be waiting there just for me," she replied crossly.

"Stop interrogating her," Kaoru said to Megumi. "For perhaps the first time in her life, Reiko spent the whole day having fun with a friend. Don't attempt to penalize her for that." She handed Reiko a bowl of rice. "Eat this, and then Megumi will look at that cut."

"Stop fussing over me, mom. I'm fine. The cut's pretty shallow. It should heal soon. It's not even going to leave a scar," Reiko surmised.

"Are you positive?"

"_Yes_," Reiko said flatly.

"Fine. Eat up, and then go to bed," Kaoru ordered.

"Oro? Why?" Reiko asked, swallowing her rice.

"You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow. I'm sending you shopping for food. If you're feeling up to it, that is," Kaoru added.

Reiko immediately brightened. "Of course I'm feeling up to it!"

"Why the thrilled reaction?" Sanosuke asked slowly, his voice containing more than a _little_ skepticism.

"It means mommy trusts me enough to do all the shopping!" Reiko lied, voicing the first excuse that came to her mind.

"Don't feel _too_ honored. Kaoru used to send Sano out for the groceries," Yahiko mentioned.

"Only because she was worried you'd devour all the food before delivering it safely home," Sanosuke retorted.

"Shut up, both of you," Reiko snapped. "You're giving me heartburn."

"You'll get heartburn either way. You're eating next to Sano," Yahiko said smartly.

"And I'm sitting next to Yahiko, which is why the heartburn will be cut in half. I, unfortunately, will be hit full-force."

Rolling her eyes, Reiko used the napkin and wiped the corners of her mouth. "You're so mature," she said sarcastically, then added to Kaoru, "Thanks for the meal." Bowing, she retreated out of the room.

As soon as Kaoru heard the door to Reiko's room slide shut, she rose to her feet and checked to see if Reiko was truly behind the literally paper-thin screen. It wasn't the best barrier to their voices, although it was coupled with a few hallways, but Kaoru was more or less convinced that Reiko wouldn't be doing any eavesdropping tonight. Re-entering the kitchen, Kaoru made sure she had their attention before glaring at Yahiko, Sanosuke, and Megumi in turn.

"Just what the _hell_ did you tell her?" she demanded in a tone that bordered on a shout.

"What do you mean?" Yahiko asked.

"Let's just say that something Reiko told me seemed to be said a little too pointedly. It went like, oh, '_Suicide_ is not the answer.' Now, what could have driven her to say something like that?"

"Just what are you accusing us of, Kaoru?" Megumi asked calmly.

"It's not just that. Reiko was too nice to me, considering what has transpired. Unless my eight-year-old child had some sort of epiphany, I doubt she could've excused my behavior that quickly. What does she know, besides that _he's_ her father and that I used to go insane every May? I don't care what you told her about my history with her father. My sole concern is what you let her know about what happened after he left that final time."

"Nothing major," Megumi answered simply, eyeing Kaoru squarely before going back to studying the chart.

"If you're going to lie, I'd appreciate if you at least gave me the honor of _not _looking me in the eye as you do it!" Kaoru snapped. Yahiko and Sanosuke were silent and merely served as witnesses to the exchange.

"I only told her what you should've explained to her a long time ago," Megumi muttered, still staring at the chart but not processing any of the information it conveyed.

"Define that. And define 'nothing major.' Because if it was in fact 'nothing major,' then I _would've_ told her," Kaoru said.

Angered, Megumi thrust the medical chart into Yahiko's hands—as he was the closest person to her—and jumped to her feet. "I hated having to act as the instigator, Kaoru, but I couldn't very well lie to her when she asked me just what happened to you after her conception! I wasn't going to cover up your tracks any longer! Everything I told her—she should've known it ages ago!"

"Forgive me for trying to salvage what was left of her childhood. Doesn't it strike you odd that Reiko talks and acts far older than she really is? Finding out your mother tried to kill you on a spur of insanity and that your father was a bloodthirsty hitokiri can do that to a child! We've stolen a good deal of her happiness, I wanted her to retain at least a small portion of it!" Kaoru said coldly.

"_We've_ stolen her happiness? Please, Kaoru, don't preach to me. We had nothing to do with it. _We_ never tried to kill Reiko._ We_ don't go insane once a year._ We_ don't find life without your precious manslayer unbearable."

"Shut up, Megumi! Don't behave as though you _know_ what I went through! I experienced a hell you'll never know!" Kaoru shouted, clenching her fists.

"What makes you think I can't understand what you went through?! I loved Kenshin, didn't I?! In my heart of hearts, I wasn't as different from you as you seem to believe!"

"That's where you're wrong. You never had to bear his child, did you? You didn't have to bring into the world a constant reminder of the person you so loved and yet so hated!"

"I may not have had to bear his child, but if I did, I wouldn't have resented it as much as you did! And, in addition to that, I wouldn't have tried to commit _suicide_!" Megumi shouted vehemently.

"Evidently, you think you'd make a far better mother than I've been. You constantly tried to take him away from me! You failed then, so what's your new goal? You want to take my daughter from me instead? She may not be the child that came from your body, but as long as you feel some sort of bond with _him_, what does it matter, right?!"

Megumi's arms, which had been tensed due to the fact that her fists were clenched just as Kaoru's, fell limply at her sides. Her eyes bore such a pained and wounded expression that Kaoru regretted her last accusation, but only for a moment. "How…can you say that?" Megumi asked weakly. "You honestly believe I want to take Reiko away from you? _I don't have feelings for him anymore_. I don't want to take Reiko from you. But I couldn't have lied to Reiko when she asked me how you immediately reacted. We've lied to her enough for the past eight years, and I figured that those eight years were eight years too long. And for another thing, Kaoru, after all we've done for you and Reiko these past eight years, you're being extremely unappreciative. We could've abandoned you, but we stood by your side during your pregnancy, during your months of lunacy, and helped you raise Reiko for you definitely couldn't have done it on your own. You have no right to behave like a spoiled little girl and say that after all that, I wanted to take your daughter away from you."

"You may not have _wanted_ to take Reiko from me," Kaoru began softly, "but the thing is, you did. The only thing that binds her to me now is pity. She feels sorry for me, sorry for the fact that I'm such a weak fool and sorry for the fact that I couldn't stand the thought of living without her wretched father. It's not a negative feeling, for she cares about me, but you can't build a strong relationship off of a foundation like that. She may love me, I won't deny that, but there's no trust between us anymore. No understanding. She now believes that I _kept_ that fact from her on purpose without the intent of telling her at all. I guess you just forgot that Reiko's still a child and that her psyche is still delicate and can be easily broken. I guess she just has that effect on people. And I guess I'll have to put up with the fact that she'll love me out of obligation, necessity, but not choice."

"And it's my fault that this has happened?"

"Not completely, but if you had just let me tell Reiko the one fact that completely shattered the stone barrier she kept around her since the day she found out about my psychosis, then perhaps the effect wouldn't have been as drastic for her…or for me."

"You'll have to forgive me, then. I made you lose the one souvenir Kenshin left to remind you of his stay. You must hate me for that," Megumi said unsympathetically. "I'm sorry, Kaoru, for the fact that you believe I made you lose your daughter. But what you fail to realize is that you lost her long before I told her you tried to simultaneously end both your lives. The pity she feels for you did not materialize today, but formed a month ago when she found out how you chose to respond to one little mishap in your life. Hate me for it, if you think that'll ease you pain. But you'll always know that there is a small difference between theft…and loss." After Megumi's speech, she sat down in her traditional manner and folded her hands in her lap, staring down at them intently. Kaoru, too, stared downward silently, only she stared with unfocused expression, for everything in her line of sight was blurred due to the fact that her eyes were brimming with tears.

"And the saddest thing of all? You're right…and you've been right from the start," Kaoru admitted, shutting her eyes tightly and allowing her tears to fall to the wooden floor. "It's something about human nature that drives a person to lack satisfaction unless they have someone to blame for every single thing that goes wrong in their life. It gives them a feeling of vindication, for they're always under the impression that what happens happened as a result of someone else's mistakes, not theirs." Tears streaming out of her eyes, she laughed. "But I can't be ruled by this law of human nature any longer. After everything that's happened, there's no one to blame but myself." With that statement, Kaoru concluded her ephemeral bout of self-pity and sat down, refusing to look directly at any of the other occupants of the room.

"You can't blame yourself, either," Megumi said quietly. "What happened is not your fault. Life sometimes takes a turn for the worst, and your life did, but you managed to pull through and you're completely fine now. There are, of course, wounds that not even time can heal, but you still have much to live for."

"Are you two _done_?" Sanosuke asked in a drab voice. "Can we move on with our self-absolving, senseless lives?"

"You'd better not be making fun of me, Sanosuke Sagara," Megumi and Kaoru said in unison.

"They're _baack_," Sanosuke commented.

"Ano…on a lighter note…" Yahiko interrupted, "…I'm engaged."

"You're…_what_?"

Once her aimless stroll had extended into its third hour, Reiko decided that it was time for her to head back home. Drawing out her dagger—which, thankfully, her guardians had forgotten for the time being—she tugged on her kimono sleeve until it was taut, thereby making far easier to cut. Wincing, Reiko pulled the elegant sheath off and slashed through her cotton sleeve, creating a shallow gash just above the crook of her right elbow. As the blood gradually flowed onto her sleeve, Reiko fiercely thought, _They'd__ better buy this._ She bent down, scooped up a handful of dirt, and began powdering her clothes and face with it. Looking around sheepishly, she collapsed onto her back to give the stains a more realistic look. She also ripped her sandal's strap. When she was finally satisfied, she jumped to her feet and delicately hid her dagger and the substantial amount of money Kaoru had given her that morning, along with the money she'd managed to attain throughout the day, in the folds of her obi. Satisfied that these items were inconspicuous and that her physical appearance showed evidence of some sort of struggle, she began her trek towards the Kamiya dojo.

A few paces from the entrance, Reiko forged the aspect most vital to her plan's execution. In order for her mother and the rest of her guardians to truly believe her story, Reiko would have to look dejected, forlorn, lost…but above all—defeated. She cast her eyes to the ground and at her damaged sandal before mustering up enough courage to walk up to the door and knock.

Yahiko was already talking when he slid the door open. "There's no point in knocking, you could've entered yourself. And honestly, what took you so long? You should've been—" Yahiko broke himself off. "Kami-sama…" he breathed once he noticed Reiko's condition.

Reiko looked up at him with beaten, hopeless eyes. It was a look she hadn't worn for ages, and it certainly wasn't one he expected from her ever since she developed her hardened personality.

"I must really look like a wreck, huh?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"Rei-chan…" Yahiko said slowly, addressing her with a nickname he hadn't used since she was five years old. "What happened?" In response, Reiko fell to the floor and simply sat there, looking utterly dismayed. "Rei-chan…it's okay. Whatever happened, we can fix it."

"There are things you can't fix, Yahiko! Don't sound so self-assured! You may find whoever did this, but you can't fix my pride! I'm a useless, stupid, weak little girl!" she shouted at him, sobbing. Or, at least, what Reiko wanted Yahiko to _believe_ was a sob. She didn't know when she'd learned how to cry at will, but was thankful she had, for Yahiko appeared to be completely convinced.

Sighing, he knelt and wiped away her tears before turning his back to her. "Get on," he said, gesturing for her to position herself on his back.

"Oro?" she asked, puzzlement dominating her features for the moment.

"I'll take you to the others and Megumi can have a look at you," Yahiko said quickly. "Now get on." Knowing that it would make her appear all the more crushed if she arrived in front of the rest of her family by way of Yahiko giving her a piggy-back ride, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, careful not to choke him.

"Wasn't there someone knocking?" Sanosuke asked as he watched Yahiko enter the room he was lounging in.

"Reiko's home," Yahiko said simply, advancing towards Megumi.

"Where is she?" Kaoru asked, glancing around and abandoning the bowl she was drying.  
"Right here," he said, motioning towards the small figure that was clutching the collar of his gi with small hands. Eyes shut tight with her head positioned against Yahiko's shoulder, Reiko remained silent.

"I honestly expected you to be carrying groceries, not Reiko," Kaoru said skeptically, frowning. _Something's not right here…_ she thought silently.

Yahiko set Reiko on the ground in front of Megumi, who was immersed in a medical novel the entire time. Realizing that many questioning eyes were upon her, she looked up.

"Kami-sama!" she exclaimed. "What happened to her?"

"She refused to tell me," Yahiko said.

Kaoru ran over to Reiko, concerned. "Reiko! What's the matter?" She looked her over, noticing the gash and the dirt, and grasped what had happened. "You were attacked, weren't you?"

Sitting down and refusing to look Kaoru in the eye, Reiko nodded in response.

"Just what happened, Jou-chan?" Sanosuke inquired, making his way over to the crowd that was assembling around her.

"Mom's going to hate me," she answered miserably.

"Don't talk in circles, Reiko!" Sanosuke snapped. "What happened?"

"I don't have any of the groceries or the money she gave me. I know she's going to be mad."

"Just what the hell does that mean, Re—"

Megumi interrupted Sanosuke and gently asked, "Tell us exactly what happened, Reiko."

Eyes still focused on the ground, Reiko wiped away her false tears and sniffled. "I…I guess I should've been more careful…then this wouldn't have happened. I already bought a few of the things and I wanted to get the shopping done faster, so I took a shortcut on my way to get the leek. The place was deserted, but I wasn't worried. I kept walking and then…two men cut off my path. They had weapons of some sort and I couldn't fend both of them off. They took what I already bought and then searched me for money before taking off with all the yen I had left, too. I would've been able to get rid of them somehow if I had my bokuto, but I didn't. And I was also dressed in uncomfortable clothing, which made it very hard to defend myself."

"Do you remember what these men looked like?" Megumi asked.

"They were tall…and had black hair. One had a goatee."

"Tall, black hair, and a goatee. Gee, that's only a quarter of the Japanese male population," Yahiko interjected sardonically.

"It's the best I can do," Reiko said quietly.

"How are we supposed to track them down without a decent description?" Sanosuke asked angrily.

"You're not," Megumi snapped. "Don't attempt to act as a vigilante, Sano. We'll let the police handle this."

"Thugs like Saitou are in the police force! You actually expect me to leave it to them?!" Sanosuke screamed.

"Yes," she answered. "It's not up to you to track these men down, Sanosuke."

"Don't tell me what I'm allowed to do and what I'm not, Megumi!" Sanosuke replied. "I want to find these bastards and I want to beat the tar out of them."

"Don't," Reiko said weakly, looking at him beseechingly. "Don't sink to their level…"

"I…" Sanosuke began, before submitting. "Fine."

Megumi examined her wound studiously. "Hmm…the cut's not that bad. They went easy on you."

"They underestimated you," Sanosuke remarked.

"Don't lie," Reiko said hardheartedly. "They didn't underestimate me. I'm a weakling. For all my knowledge of swordsmanship, the Futae no Kiwami…I proved to be a completely incompetent and cocky fool who couldn't hold her own against two inexperienced dolts."

"Don't be hard on yourself. They were older than you, taller than you, and on top of that, they were men," Sanosuke attempted to console her.

Reiko fought the urge to glare at Sanosuke. She already had one overly passionate outburst and couldn't afford to have another. _If only he knew how I revile that mentality, that men are _born_ stronger than women._

"Go wash up, and I'll tend to it. Some warm water should do it good anyway," Megumi instructed. Nodding, Reiko got up and left in the direction of the bath, delighted to know that her small bundle was still concealed within the folds of her obi.

"What's the matter, Kaoru?" Yahiko probed. "You've been silent ever since you heard her story."

"I'm fine," Kaoru said quickly.

"Should I get the police?" Sanosuke asked distastefully.

"Don't bother," was Kaoru's indifferent reply.

"…what?"

"I said, 'Don't bother.' We have no reason to track down the men Reiko spoke of."

"Kaoru…I don't know if you noticed…but…YOUR DAUGHTER WAS ROBBED!"

Before Kaoru could reply to Sanosuke's statement, Megumi said, "Her wound isn't bad at all. It's quite shallow."

Kaoru smiled knowingly. "Self-induced wounds usually are."

"What are you talking about?" Yahiko asked.

"There are far too many discrepancies in Reiko's story…too many things that don't seem to add up."

"Oh?" Megumi asked.

"Reiko generally hates wearing a kimono, and yet today she jumped at the opportunity when I told her that one of hers was out of the wash. Then there's the fact that her 'defeat' had her so broken up. Reiko's not the type of person to be emotionally scarred so easily, as all of you should've realized by now. And in the event that she _was_ feeling upset due to being beaten, she's too perceptive and too keen on holding grudges to have allowed them to leave without memorizing exactly what they looked like. The men who defeated her would have their faces firmly imprinted in her memory. For another thing, Reiko hasn't spoken the way she just did for over a year now. All of this seems to have been an act…almost as if she staged this whole thing," Kaoru explained.

"That's ridiculous!" Sanosuke said, although a part of him had been greatly swayed by her argument.

"Then there's what Reiko told me yesterday. Her exact words were, 'I'm not an easy person to hurt.' And those words…they're true. She dealt with a man like Fujitaka Wakamaru, whose son was not lacking skill with a sword, and there's no way I'm going to believe that these street bandits were at all better than he was, even when they're put together. If they had some merit of skill, they wouldn't be wasting their time attacking a little girl for some yen."

"If you're right—"

"Which I am."

"Don't interrupt," Megumi reprimanded her, before starting again. "_If_ you're right, what could her motive possibly have been?"

"She needs the money for something," Kaoru answered immediately, for she had not failed to notice the small bulge in Reiko's obi that the others had so conveniently overlooked.

"So…why not confront her? Ask her why she did what she did?" Yahiko mused.

"Because I'm curious to see what she's scheming. Earlier, I was worried that she pitied me, but now I believe she didn't pity me as much as she was carefully, calculatingly, measuring every one of her moves. Everything she did today and yesterday is all part of some grand design. I have no idea what it is, but I have nothing against lying in wait and finding out," Kaoru responded.

"So we're supposed to wait and see what your eight-year-old kid does with forty-odd yen?" Sanosuke asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Sanosuke sighed. "You know…it's funny," Kaoru went on. "In the end, I managed to understand her and anticipate her actions far better than any of you. Perhaps she's a bit more like me and a little less like him than I realized…"

Bracing herself, Reiko knocked on the door of the Ishimori Inn. Minako's mother opened it and peered down at her.

"Reiko-chan! You're here early," she commented, wiping sweat off her brow. "Is there something you need? Because we're extremely busy on Saturdays…"

"Actually, that's why I'm here. I'd like to help out," she answered cheerfully.

"Well…we are a bit shorthanded again…why the sudden interest in helping?"

"I want to spend some time with Minako…I haven't seen her much this past month. Maybe she doesn't want to spend her time with someone who's six years younger than she is…in which case, that's completely understandable," Reiko said.

"It's nothing like that!" Minako's mother answered, laughing. "She's been ill. It was an unusual disease, actually. She recovered and fell ill again several times. Anyway, you can work in the kitchen with my husband. There are plenty of dishes to wash. I'll send Minako in to help you shortly."

"Great!" Reiko answered. _It's truly amazing how the Fates keep presenting me with such prime opportunities at every turn. Ishimori-dono has unknowingly ordered me to work alongside the man I specifically came here to see._ Reiko thought, avoiding the inclination the smirk at her conclusion.

"Ryoji, I've brought help," Minako's mother announced, ushering Reiko into the room. "This is Minako's friend, Reiko Kamiya."

Reiko bowed. "Ohayo gozaimasu," she greeted him. Ryoji Ishimori wiped his hands and extended one to Reiko. Startled at the unusual show of equality, she shook his hand anyway. Ryoji frowned for a moment, but then smiled amiably.

"You've got quite a grip there," he told her. "I'm impressed."

"It's nothing too impressive," Reiko said in an attempt to be humble. "I'm from a dojo."

"Interesting. Which one?" he asked, turning back to his work at the numerous pots, bowls, plates, and utensils littered across the large table.

"Kamiya Kasshin ryuu," Reiko answered.

"Reiko, if he starts interrogating you, ignore him. He still has a deep obsession with swords, so he'll without a doubt ask you to describe each and every one you've seen in your dojo," Ishimori-dono said airily. "I'd better get back to the counter, so I'm entrusting these dishes to you. I expect them to be spotless once you're done."

Nodding, Reiko began scrubbing away, listening intently for the moment when Minako's mother would leave the room. Hearing the door click shut, she opened her mouth to initiate a conversation, but found that Minako's father was one step ahead of her.

"Child…I have but one question. Yes, you trained in a dojo, but it is forbidden to use real swords in this day and age. You could only have come into contact with a bokuto," he began.

"Hai…" Reiko said slowly, beckoning for him to continue.

He directed his attention back to the various foods and dishes. "Why, then, would someone who has never trained with a real sword have calloused hands that could _only_ have come from training with a katana?" he asked carefully. Reiko nearly dropped the dish she was currently scrubbing. _It appears I've taken him too lightly…_ She thought. _But no matter.__ This makes it that much easier to state my request._

"In that case, I will need no explanation as to why I am here. Coming to this inn and saying that I simply wanted to scour a few bowls was but a ruse. I'm here to ask you for a favor."

"A favor? You're that comfortable with asking favors of someone you've just met?"

Reiko scoffed. "I may have just met _you_, but your reputation and I have long since been acquainted."

"My reputation?"

"I know that you used to create swords during the revolution and have not lost your touch, for I haven't failed to perceive how well-made your knives are. Your daughter and wife happened to share that these knives were all generated by you, and so I have a request, Ishimori-san. I'm asking you to forge me a blade."

"Reiko-chan, I have no idea whether to laugh or demand if you're serious," the man said, chuckling lightly.

"Please don't start talking in loops and in the end avoid answering my question. I won't tolerate that," Reiko said icily. "This isn't a joke."

"I've never been confronted with this type of situation before," Ryoji mentioned, smiling in such a condescending way that Reiko wanted to punch him, Futae no Kiwami and all. "You want me to make a nice toy sword for you?"

"You find this an endearing situation in which one of your daughter's friends is asking for a trinket to play with, Ishimori-san? Do you think I'm unobservant, or just plain stupid?" Reiko retorted. "Answer the question. Will you or will you not forge me a blade?"

"Back during the days of the Revolution, there was no reason for me to ask why people came to me in search of a katana…a wakizashi…a dagger…the like. But with you, I must ask. What can a small child possibly want with a sword in an era where they're prohibited?" Ryoji inquired, emptying out an ample amount of rice into a pot.

"Don't worry. I don't intend to wreak havoc upon this feeble nation. All I want is a katana. I've wanted one all my life and after realizing that I can manage to practice with one, I'm convinced that I can master my sword technique with it. I'm not asking for much. I yearn to be able to one day hold my head up high within a crowd of men and be able to declare how I have bypassed them in strength, speed, and power," Reiko lied, improvising at an astonishing rate.

"Men are no longer dependant on honor brought them by their swords. What makes you think that these men you intend to be faster than, stronger than, and more powerful than will even show the slightest amount of concern?"

"But they _were_ dependant on this honor once, and I'm sure I can reawaken stirrings of its influence," Reiko said confidently. "Ishimori-san…please…I'm asking you to trust me. I don't intend to have my sword ever taste the blood of another human being—not at my hands. The sword you forge, if you indeed decide to, will not be used for the maltreatment of anyone, but simply to enhance my skills."

Ryoji studied her. Her words were certainly convincing, as was the imploring look that accompanied them. He sighed, feeling trounced.

"All right, Reiko. See me in a week. And rest assured. By then, you'll have your sword."

(faints) CHAPTER EIGHT IS FINALLY COMPLETE! And it only took me all summer, too. (sheepish grin) Now, I have a few remarks. For starters, I'm sorry that this chapter is probably not up to par with my usual ones. Next, my apologies to the real Masashi Ikeda. (bangs head against table) I developed his name _before_ I realized that someone who actually had that name existed. As it turns out, the real Masashi Ikeda is the producer of Inuyasha. -.-; On a final note, I received a review that Reiko is too mature for her age. This is true, but it is neither unintentional nor impossible. I've known eight-year-olds that were more sophisticated than some of my peers. And in Reiko's case and why she's overly mature…finding out that your father was a bloodthirsty murderer who killed countless people, that your mother is suicidal, _and_ that she tried to kill _you_ twice can do that to a kid. Anyway, please review and I hope you liked this installment!


	9. Twigs of the Pyre

**The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 9: Twigs of the Pyre**

Yes, yes, you all hate me. I am so sorry that it's been…about a year since my last update. As I said in my profile, I really had so much work to contend with that, I'll admit with a great deal of embarrassment, I was actually planning on abandoning writing _anything_ until the summer. My latest post was my Shaman King fanfic, which was reasonably shorter than my RK installments and therefore less demanding. (bows) Gomen nasai. I promise to make it up with more happy angst for you.

Disclaimer: I'm flat out Broke. (Like my other fic. Yes, yes, pun intended. XD) But I swear, that day when I have the kind of cash needed to buy out a series, RUROUNI KENSHIN SHALL BE MINE! (resounding maniacal laughter)

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Reiko gradually and grudgingly arose to the thin wisps of sunlight that were seeping through her windows. _Damn it_, she thought tiredly, sitting up with a lethargic stretch, _I really have lost my touch. I never used to sleep till dawn or past it._ Rising and parting the frames of her window to allow for some ventilation, Reiko strolled over to the section of her room where her clothes lay in a mismatched pile.

"Now let's see…which selection of clothing would make me look most presentable?" she muttered, smiling faintly despite her slight aggravation. It had, after all, been not seven days since her encounter with Ryoji Ishimori, but eight. Despite her best efforts to stealthily sneak away the previous evening, Kaoru caught her and incorrectly assumed that Reiko was out for nothing more than a way to shirk her chores. She put her to cooking immediately, and Reiko's brilliant opportunity to finally obtain a katana had been foiled.

Sorting through her clothing, trying and failing to find something that was not adorned with creases, Reiko's smile faded upon remembrance. _Will Ishimori-san even take me seriously? Will he think I've forgotten or decided against it? Has he already disassembled my sword or melted it down into an array of knives?_ Even more regrettable was the fact that she would be forced to sit through a day of school, her mother having returned to complete sanity and with her toleration of Reiko's lank efforts at the godforsaken establishment growing very thin. So her rendezvous with the only person willing to forge a sword for her would have to wait till the late afternoon. Abandoning her futile efforts to find something prim and lady-like to wear, Reiko selected a black gi and a white hakama, threw it on and secured her money within her gi, before heading off in the direction of the kitchen.

"That, Reiko, was awesome," Sanosuke answered, patting his stomach with a satisfied grin. "You outdid yourself, kid."

Reiko scoffed. "Don't I always?"

"Don't take up that arrogant tone with your uncle!" Sanosuke replied in mock indignation. "Especially when he has to pick himself up at dawn to walk you to school."

"I keep telling 'kaa-san to just let me walk on my own…" She let her voice trail off.

"Reiko, we've been through this countless times. Firstly, it's dangerous for you to be out on your own, and secondly, we all know that if you're allowed to walk to school on your own, you'll never actually make it there," Kaoru interjected, setting down her chopsticks.

"I resent that. I would never dream of ditching school!"

"We're sure," the two chorused sarcastically.

"I'm glad you have such faith in me." Reiko glanced at the two vacant seats at the breakfast table. "Where are Megumi and Yahiko?"

"Megumi's at the clinic, and Yahiko's off training in the backyard, avoiding the object of his affection whom he will be bound to within a few months. Poor guy," Sanosuke said sympathetically.

"Men," Reiko remarked, rolling her eyes. "Well, if you're finished stuffing your face with another free meal, Sano, I do believe we should leave if I don't want to be late."

"Yeah, but…when do you ever not want to be late?"

"Ha, you're a riot, Sanosuke. If the gambling business goes sour, you could become a comedian!" Reiko replied drably.

"Kaoru, your daughter is attacking my honor and you're just sitting there…" Sanosuke commented to Kaoru, who was peering intently at her newspaper.

"I'm sorry," she said, glancing up. "Something caught my attention. Reiko, what did you say your friend's name was?"

"Friend? What?"

"Some hotshot politician called Yagami is having some sort of grand feast at his mansion later this week. Is he by any chance related to your friend Satoshi?" Curious, Reiko glanced at the black-and-white photograph. Upon seeing the falsely beaming man in the picture, Reiko's eyes narrowed.

"I'll say," Reiko responded darkly. "That's his father."

"Now, now, Reiko…you've been holding out on me. How many times did your uncle tell you to milk those rich folks for all they're worth?" Sanosuke asked her, shaking his head.

"Sanosuke!" Kaoru snapped reproachfully.

"Once, about two seconds ago," Reiko replied. "Can we please go?" She was beginning to experience a slight anxiety, hoping her mother wouldn't scold her for arriving mud-covered into the presence of such a prestigious man. She'd seen mothers constantly reprimanding their daughters for such brazen displays of ignorance and lack of integrity, but Kaoru had merely reminded Reiko for the umpteenth time how different she was from other parents and said nothing.

"Fine, fine," Sanosuke submitted, rising from his place by the table.

------

"Damn it," Reiko repeated over and over, her cursing developing into a mantra. She cautiously trod on the wooden floor that led to her classroom, dreading entering it about as much as she dreaded meeting Seijuro Hiko once again. Slowly and desperately attempting to remain unnoticed, Reiko slid the screen to her classroom open and walked inside.

Inoue-sensei regarded her with a weary gaze for a moment, but otherwise acted as though her speech had not been interrupted.

"Class, I'm sure you all remember my telling you about a new student that was to be joining us this week from Britain. His name is Kyo Hideyoshi, and he will be in this class as of today," Inoue-sensei went on, and as if on cue, someone entered the classroom from the door opposite the one Reiko had used.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," he greeted them, bowing. "Namae wa Hideyoshi Kyo desu."

The effect he had on the female populace of the room was instantaneous. "He's…gorgeous," and awed whispers of "Wow," were among the words exchanged between several of the girls sitting near Sora. Reiko ignored them easily, instead watching Kyo as intently as he was being discussed. He was noticeably tall, with stark red hair that framed a pale face. His green eyes appeared bored, almost indifferent to the events taking place around him. He toyed with his black sleeve absentmindedly, evidently waiting for Inoue-sensei to designate a place for him to sit.

"Right. Hideyoshi-san, please sit next to Kamiya-san and Yagami-san. You two, raise your hands," she ordered. Reiko and Satoshi collectively did as she asked, seated side-by-side as Reiko had taken to sitting as far away from Sora as was possible in the tiny classroom.

"You jackass!" Satoshi said lightly upon Kyo drawing nearer. "You've been holding out on me!" He elbowed him in the ribs.

"Is this the refinement of the Yagami heir, Sato-kun?" Kyo asked with a broad smile.

"Please. 'Heir,' you say. My father's so hard to kill off he'll be here—with the cockroaches—shortly after the apocalypse. Manipulating someone."

"Who, the cockroaches?" Reiko interjected blankly. "I…take it you two have met before?"

"Our fathers frequently work with one another, so yes, we've met," Satoshi answered. "Except I had no idea Kyo here was coming back to Japan, nor was I aware that he'd be attending school _here_."

"My mother decided to settle herself in a tiny apartment in London as opposed to our huge house in the countryside, so I was forced to move here and live with _him_," Kyo explained, the word "him" being several layers of derision thick.

"Wait, so you're a politician's whelp too?"

"…I'd prefer if you used a different term, but yes."

"Why are you attending school here, of all places, and not some overly-expensive boarding school?" Reiko asked.

"My father felt it would be best if I didn't draw attention to myself. He's afraid someone's going to kill me, although I don't see why they'd bother."

"You may not be his heir, but you're still worth a fine sum of money, Kyo," Satoshi remarked airily.

"At least my half-brother's worth more, being that I'm a bastard since my parents got divorced. Smartest thing they'd ever done, come to think of it," Kyo went on. Reiko soon grew bored of their cryptic conversation, in addition to the fact that she felt like she was intruding on some sort of fraternal unity.

"As nice as it is to see you, Kyo, my friend here looks annoyed," Satoshi interrupted, and Reiko decided not to point out the differences between annoyance and utter boredom. "Kyo, this is Reiko."

Kyo thrust his hand out to Reiko. "Hello. God, I'd swear you were a guy if not for your feminine features and the fact that your body looks seriously frail." With a sharp pang, Reiko found herself sorely missing her bokuto.

"It's a shame you didn't swear it, Kyo-kun," Reiko remarked dryly. "I'd love to see Kami-sama smite you."

"Listen to her, Kyo," Satoshi agreed. "She'd enjoy it."

"…right. Why do you dress like a boy, anyway?" Kyo asked. As the question was laced with curiosity and not bewilderment, Reiko decided she'd do Kyo the honor of answering.

"Because a kimono takes so long to put on, I'd be even later to school," was her bright reply. "Besides, 'male' clothing, as you put it, is far more comfortable."

"You're probably still sore from the beating I gave you," Satoshi put in good-naturedly.

"And you, like all men, seem to love flattering yourself," she shot back.

Kyo stared at them with a hint of incredulity. "You're…friends, you said?"

"It's probably not mutual, but I suppose you could say that!" Satoshi responded with a laugh.

Kyo looked like he wanted to say more, but Inoue-sensei didn't seem to want to give him that luxury, as she was clapping her ruler against the table.

"Ladies, gentlemen, I'd like your attention now. I do believe you've had sufficient time to socialize. Now, for today's class, I'd like you to pair into groups. Yes, Narita-san, you may choose the groups on your own, so put your hand down. For our first few hours of class, we will be writing poetry." Her class groaned in unison, Reiko among them. She was not an eloquent speaker, and certainly had no desire to express her beliefs in a structured format with a designated number of syllables. "It won't be too bad, children. Do stop sulking. Now, after you've gotten into your groups, I'd like you to decide on a topic and then each compose two lines for the final poem. You may do so now." With her concluding words, there was a stampede to Kyo's section of the room. Reiko forced down her laughter and people around Kyo bargained for who would get to assimilate him into their group, with their victim looking on in horrified wonder all the while.

"This is interesting," she commented to Satoshi.

"Immensely. It's what he gets for his 'dashing good looks,'" Satoshi said with a chortle.

"Hideyoshi-san will be in _my_ group, and that's final!" Sora cried. "You've got more than enough people!"

"Who cares? The more, the better! Besides, he's from the West. He probably wrote poetry everyday!"

"Actually," Satoshi interrupted loudly, "Hideyoshi-san is in my group, and this same group happens to be filled to capacity. Find someone else to tear to pieces." Kyo shot Satoshi a look of unmistakable gratitude.

"Well then, who's in this group of yours?" Sora questioned.

"There's Akira, Kensuke, Reiko, Kyo, and myself. Five people is a pretty crowded group, Sora-chan," Satoshi said coolly. Reiko—though she would rather run herself through with the katana she hoped to purchase that day than admit it—was rather impressed with how he chose to insult her. Rather than outwardly scorning her irritating intrusion on his group of friends (which Reiko still refused to acknowledge as her own), he used cold patronization, calling her "Sora-chan" in a tone that implied that she was below him, both in intellect and skill.

"Kamiya? By the gods, why would you want Kamiya in your group? Do you have some sort of wish to fail this assignment?" she snapped.

Smiling, Satoshi slipped an arm around Reiko's shoulders and made a brave effort to ignore how rigid she had suddenly gotten. "Koishii, I do believe Sora-chan was attempting to insult your intelligence." (A/N: "Koishii" means darling, dearest, etc.) For her own part, Reiko was slightly unsure of what Satoshi was scheming, but decided to humor him.

"Well then, I do believe she failed miserably," she answered. Sora, who was evidently expecting severe reprimands from Reiko for some filthy male daring to assume she'd stoop so low as to allow a man to touch her _and_ use some sort of pet name, was severely disappointed with Reiko's answer.

"Then…you are…that is to say…"

Reiko forced a laugh. "Not the brightest individual, is she, Satoshi-kun?"

"Forget it!" Sora exclaimed. "I'm not going to stand here and endure your insults!" She stormed off with several of her friends in tow, blushing severely.

"Satoshi-san, I don't know whether to thank you or rip out your entrails and wrap them around your neck," Reiko said with a mild hint of amusement. The shudders of the four males in her vicinity drew a smile out of her.

"Well, it made for a nice method of getting rid of her, Reiko," Satoshi said. "Besides, I did enjoy hearing you call me 'Satoshi-kun.'"

"You have no shame…"

"He does make for a brilliant actor, though," Kyo put in with a grin. "It must take a lot to convince anyone that you could call _her_ your 'beloved' and still live to tell the tale." The boys nodded in assent, for Reiko certainly had an impervious air.

"In any case," Satoshi interrupted, "we need to come up with a topic."

"I say swords," Kensuke piped up immediately.

"I say Kensuke's murder," Reiko added. "…with swords."

"Something that won't cause Inoue-sensei to give us a week's worth of homework for tomorrow, please."

"What about war?" Akira suggested. The other four stared at him. "It's a relatively broad topic; you should have no trouble coming up with two lines each."

"I'd have thought you of all people would suggest something with women," Kensuke said mildly. Reiko silently affirmed his comment, for she never failed to notice Akira's somewhat lewd mindset in terms of the opposite sex.

"I'd say the rest of you—except for Kamiya-san—barely know enough to contrive a single line about women."

"Because you, dear Akira, are the expert."

"Exactly."

And so the five set about composing their laments on war, Reiko haphazardly jotting down the first few syllables that came to her mind. Once she was finished, she busied herself with looking out the nearby window and envisioning the moment when she would finally be permitted to leave her prison cell. _I wonder if Seijuro Hiko is still staying with Minako's family…_ she thought absently. _And I wonder if he remembers his promise to teach me, should I be able to procure a sword in time. It's kind of ironic, I suppose, my setting out to be taught by the man who made a killer out of the Battousai, the person I intend to punish. Does that make me a hypocrite, then? Am I nothing better than the lowliest government official Sanosuke would spit upon?_

"Reiko!" Satoshi snapped, yanking on her sleeve. "Welcome back. We're going to share our lines now. You may go first."

Reiko glanced down at her poem fragment. "Er…'_Bang' sounds the gun of a soldier in battle, 'thud' is the sound as another falls out of his saddle_."

"Okay, then, Reiko. I'll go next," Satoshi volunteered. "_A single death is not important, and all remain forever focused on their work._ Your turn, Kyo."

"_A soldier bleeds upon the floor, and to escape extends his hand—_"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Akira interrupted. "Have you never read a single poem in your lives? Where the hell did you come _up_ with this utter crap!"

"And you think you could do better?" Reiko asked drably.

"As a matter of fact, the worst thing I could come up with would be sixteen times better than this bullshit," he answered, and to her surprise, there was not a trace of intentional cockiness in his remark. Either Akira truly believed what he was saying and saw no dispute in it, or bragging had simply become second nature to him. He reached for their papers. "Give your lines to me. I'll…modify them, and make a decent poem." He quickly began scribbling kanji with his brush as the others looked on in wonder.

"I didn't know Akira could write…" Kensuke voiced blankly.

"I wasn't aware he could do anything but chase after skirts…" Reiko said feebly.

"Well, he _was_ the best at calligraphy two years ago. He even beat Masashi at the art, who'd been at it much longer," Satoshi said thoughtfully.

"Well, we know someone else beat Masashi in a far more effective manner," Akira added in an amused voice. Reiko glanced at him sharply and was relieved to find that no one was looking in her direction. _Amazing…_ she thought. _Even now, no one really knows that it was I who forced Masashi to flee like the blubbering coward he was._

To earn their attention, Inoue-sensei once again clapped her ruler against the table.

"Students, please, I'd like you all to finalize your work so we can share the poems now," she said with a smile, and her cheerfulness was greeted with another round of groans from the class. "Come now, I'm interested in what you've written! As I'm sure the rest of your classmates are…" Reiko raised her hand, and Inoue-sensei regarded her with a blatant look of shock. "Kamiya? Are you…volunteering?" Reiko fought the urge to snort, for she hadn't so much as volunteered to add two single-digit numbers since school had started.

"No," Reiko said immediately. "I was just wondering if you could spare us the sheer torment of hearing Sora-san's group do their reading."

Inoue-sensei heaved a sigh, and said, "Kamiya, that's enough. I'm sure that whatever Sora-san's group came up with will be wonderful. However, as you seem to be overly confident that your work is better, your group can go first." Akira rose with his paper and prepared to commence with reading his poem. "No, Gensai," Inoue-sensei interrupted. "I'd like Kamiya to read it. Just Kamiya." Akira looked crestfallen.

"I didn't exactly contribute the most meaningful lines to the poem, Inoue-dono," Reiko remarked with a glare on Akira's behalf.

"I'm asking you to read, not to give credit where it's due." Grudgingly, Reiko glanced down at the sheet of paper and nearly blanched. Quickly running her eyes over it, she counted about twenty lines as opposed to ten. _Lovely_, she noted inwardly. _It's "The Tale of Genji" all over again._

Upon Inoue-sensei's signal, she began. "_I sullied my hands,_

_With the red of innocent blood._

_They granted no time for looking back._

_Is this…regret?_

_My sword drags uselessly on the path of destruction I myself paved._

_A slow, cautious movement behind me._

_Is this…stealth?_

_I bring up my callous weapon and cleave another scar,_

_Another testament to the circle of rules in this cruel game._

_My thin frame is shaken with scars…_

_Coating my soul and my body in a red luminescence._

_Is this…pain?_

_To falter is to be weak,_

_To attack without reason is to be arrogant._

_And to be a soldier, destroying, annihilating,_

_One must declare himself inhuman._

_My senses bore witness to this shrine of depravity._

_Is this…victory?_

_Distantly, they raise tattered flags._

_My tattered flags._

_And shout out in joy, in triumph._

_I study the sightless eyes around me, and smile, sheathing my sword._

_I think I have finally understood._

_This is loss._" Finishing with that line, she looked up to find the other groups eyeing her with mixes of annoyance, disgust, and bewilderment.

Her own group members, meanwhile, stared at Akira.

"What?" he asked sheepishly. "I got a little carried away…"

"A little? You didn't just add on to our lines, you _novelized_ them!" Kyo said blankly.

"Well now…thank you, Kamiya," Inoue-sensei praised her slowly, accepting the small scroll from her.  
"As I said, my contribution to this poem was minimal."

"Obviously," Sora chimed in. "That poem was westernized. It's obviously the work of Kyo-san." Kyo quirked an eyebrow and studied Sora lazily.

"Sorry to dash your hopes, there, but I had nothing to do with it. I'm an awful writer. We added things to it, but it was largely the work of Akira-san here," Kyo said while Akira's face became several shades more red than usual.

"That letch can _write_?" Sora questioned disbelievingly.

"That's enough!" Inoue-sensei cried out. "Akira, I commend you on your work. That was very good for someone of your level."

"'Someone of his level?'" Reiko repeated contemptuously. "That was better than the amateur love poetry you were having us read about a year ago."

"Kamiya, sit down. I didn't ask for your opinion." Shrugging, Reiko proceeded to seat herself next to Satoshi and await the next group's proposal. They looked completely undermined, and Reiko was not surprised. Anything they could have written paled in comparison to what Akira was capable of at his age.

------

"Hey, Reiko, Kyo's coming over to my house for sparring. Care to come along?" Satoshi proposed after school as Reiko crouched, fixing her sandal strap.

"I can't _believe_ you two!" Akira shouted angrily. "Inoue-sensei assigned an insane amount of work! How could you possibly have time to spar?"

"We don't particularly care what Inoue-sensei assigns, Akira-san," Kyo answered brightly. "Neither does Reiko-san, obviously, which is why we're inviting her. Not that she knows anything about swords, but I like an audience." Reiko finished fastening the strap and rose, gracing Kyo with the fiercest glare she could muster.

"Don't underestimate her, Kyon," Satoshi warned, causing Kyo to visibly darken at the use of his nickname.

"One, don't call me that. I hated when my parents used it, and I still hate it. Two, don't tell me what to do. Three, she's a girl, and a scrawny one at that. I'm overestimating her if I assume she can hold a sword the right way," he brushed off the remark airily. Satoshi glanced at Reiko sheepishly, expecting her to detonate and effectively glue Kyo's mouth shut.

Instead of erupting into one of her usual, enraged rants, however, Reiko smiled deviously. "The path of the sword is the same path, Hideyoshi-san, no matter which direction one takes. Don't let your arrogance slow you down…" she drawled. "Or I might just catch up to you." With those parting words and a wave, Reiko turned and set off in the direction of the Ishimori Inn, enveloped by the sound of the nervous footfalls that brought her closer to her sword and her possible master.

------

"Reiko!" Minako greeted her brightly once she arrived. "What are you doing here?"

"Well…you weren't in school today, so I decided to visit a friend. Any objections?" Reiko lied, cobbling together the first excuse that popped into her mind.

"That's nice of you. You never bothered before—always too eager to get home from school for your swordsmanship lessons," Minako noted.

Reiko looked away, and her response consisted of low, strained words. "Let's just say that the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu has taught me all it ever had to offer." She ignored the quizzical look Minako regarded her with. "Anyway, why _were_ you absent? It's strange…you've been attending school rather sparsely over the past few months. Are you still ill?"

The expression in Minako's dark orbs was impossible to distinguish. "No. I'm perfectly fine. It's just that my parents have been arranging meetings with…never mind." She blinked, dousing the expression Reiko finally identified as one of utter abhorrence, and instead turned to smile at Reiko rather amiably.

"Why the smile, Minako?" Reiko asked. Her countenance had made its transition from despairing to pleasantly surprised, and she was curious as to what had catalyzed the change.

"It's nothing, quite honestly. Only that…well, it's been a long time since you seemed concerned about my health, or anything else in your surrounding environment, for that matter."

Reiko shrugged indifferently. "I've been concentrating on other matters, I suppose. Matters that have nothing to do with what's taking place around me." Minako's facial expression darkened once again.

"Is it…is it something to do with the…the Battousai, Reiko?"

"Don't hesitate so profusely, Minako. It's fine to speak his name around me. I don't fear him, and neither should you," she remarked calmly. "As for what's troubling me, I've sort of been reevaluating my goals as a swordsman and realized that Kamiya Kasshin ryuu is a rather feeble art, especially the form I'm instructed in. Besides, it's become apparent that neither of my teachers seem to harbor any desire to continue to teach me, which makes learning it useless. I can't be taught by anyone with regrets, or else the true meaning of the training will be lost to me." That much was certainly true. Reiko had very little patience to spare on her mother's style of swordsmanship, and even less time.

"I suppose that makes sense," Minako agreed. "How's school? Has Sora been making attempts at annoying you?"

"Every spare minute of every day I see her," Reiko answered. "I've learned to ignore her, although Satoshi managed to shut her up."

"Oh?" Minako sounded genuinely interested.

"He made insinuations about a relationship between the two of us." Minako smiled at Reiko suggestively.

"And were they…_just _insinuations?" she asked demurely.

"Of course. I hate all men, Minako! You should know that," Reiko replied calmly and without defensiveness, which Minako undoubtedly realized.

"He _is_ a nice boy, Reiko, and he's obviously taken a liking to you," she pressed in a gentle voice.

"He's taken a liking to my swordsmanship skills," Reiko said firmly. "And that's not likely to change. Satoshi-san was merely putting Sora in her place, as everyone I respect favors doing."

"You're on a first-name basis with him now, at any rate," Minako continued. "And you _respect _him." Reiko rolled her eyes to stare at the ceiling, exasperated.

"Hey, Minako?" Reiko interjected suddenly. Minako cocked her head to one side.

"What is it?"

"Well…Sora. She wasn't like this when we first met. She wasn't bitter, she wasn't full of herself, and she certainly didn't hate anyone. What could I have done to trigger this change in her? You were there, Minako! You witnessed nearly every interaction I ever had with Sora. Did I ever do something so offensive that she desperately needed to seek revenge?" Reiko inquired.

Reiko had, once again, evidently caught Minako off guard. "You sound so _earnest_, Reiko. Does Sora's opinion of you really count for that much?" Minako's words were met with a shrill bout of laughter from the younger student.

"Sora's opinion never did and never will count for anything. I'm just curious as to which of my actions could possibly have driven her to a level of such absolute detestation for me and anyone who associates with me. Perhaps I might one day repeat my actions with another…twisting someone's mentality in such a manner may indeed be useful."

"You are _impossible_, Reiko," Minako answered with a shake of her head, although she could not mask the amused quality in her voice. "However…" she continued in lower and darker tones, "I don't believe Sora's transformation was directly a result of any of your actions."

"So, she loathes me without a bona fide reason? I feel appreciated."  
"It's…not even that she loathes _you_. Sora was born into a very traditional family—a family that denounces a female assuming any role in society besides that of a homemaker as Hell-worthy. You—on the day you arrived at school donning male attire and sporting wounds you received in battle—were a perfect example to Sora of precisely what she can never be. She doesn't hate you, per se. She hates everything you represent," Minako explained, eyes moving away from Reiko to rest on the delicately-woven lace that swathed the front counter.

"She hates me because she was _taught_ to? Is that what you're saying?"

Minako smiled slightly. "Not at all, Rei-chan. Sora _envies_ you, and it's a desperate jealousy, at that. You possess a freedom she can never have. Her family will probably marry her off to the highest bidder at the earliest age they can! Reiko, don't you understand? Sora isn't attending school because she intends to use this knowledge in the future! She's not bound for anything more than a husband and a few children to raise. She attends school simply to leave the sanctity, the protection of her home and learn how to socialize under the pretense of attaining an education! And because of that…because of that…she's lonely. She doesn't have a single person in whom she can confide about this, and that is why she hates you. Because she's chained and bound in ways you will never know." And although Minako's words could never coerce Reiko into forgiving Sora for her betrayal, they certainly bore some semblance of truth. As Reiko studied Minako's pensive and faintly agonizing expression and remembered the soft-spoken words she had just uttered, she couldn't help but voice her own speculation.

"Are we still discussing Sora, Minako, or was that exposition about you?" Minako glanced up at Reiko, whose expression bore into hers. "Well?"

"Reiko-chan?" The male voice interrupted the two females and spared Minako the burden of answering. "It _is_ you!" Reiko and Minako turned to regard Minako's father, Ryoji Ishimori, as he stood there with a baffled and sheepish visage. "Sorry, I merely took notice of my star vegetable chopper. Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not at all, father, but didn't mother say that she'd skin you if she caught you taking another break?" Ryoji looked aghast.

" This isn't a break, my child! This is my attempt at scouting some kitchen aid," he replied indignantly.

"As if Niitsu-san isn't enough kitchen aid for you!"

"…Niitsu-san?" Reiko asked, confused. "Who?" Both Minako and Ryoji eyed Reiko as though she had suddenly sprouted several extra appendages.

"Your _uncle_, Reiko?" Minako said. "You know, the man you brought to live here a week ago?" Reiko could've kicked herself. _How was I to know he was using an alias!_ She thought morosely.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I know him by a different name," she said immediately, feigning embarrassment. "He changed it shortly after moving away from my mother's family, apparently."

"Why would he do that?" father and daughter piped up in unison.

"I never bothered to ask…he might be reluctant to have anything to do with our swordsmanship style, I suppose. It _is_ dying out." _Another web of lies…it's a wonder I keep track._

"Anyhow, come along, Reiko-chan! We've got work for you to do!" Ryoji said affably. "Follow me." He ushered Reiko out of the room and towards the kitchen, only to abruptly switch paths after casting a furtive glance in Minako's direction to make sure she wasn't looking. With her closely following him, he led her into the yard and halted just before a tumbledown shack. Noticing her bewildered facial expression, he remarked, "I don't believe it's possible that you forgot our arrangement, Reiko-chan."

Reiko shook her head. "_This_ is where you forge knives, Ishimori-san?"

"It's more comfortable than it looks, I assure you," he answered, waving aside the curtain that functioned as the miserable little hut's door. Reiko followed him inside, assuming he didn't wish to conduct business in a public venue. "It was actually an interesting experience, you know…" he said slowly, reaching for the sword that was to be hers, located so obscurely in the corner of the room. "Forging a blade for you. You're quite a character. If I'm allowed to make an assumption…is this because of any desire you might have to reestablish your swordsmanship style as one of the most prominent in Tokyo?"

Reiko grinned. "Possibly."

"Well, it's a noble cause, I suppose," he commented, beaming. Ryoji held out the sword. "Go on. Take it. It's yours." Mesmerized by the sheathed blade, Reiko waited patiently as Ryoji deposited it in her outstretched arms. Reiko shifted slightly, surprised at how light the blade was. Noticing this, Minako's father explained, "The metal alloy I used was different from the one you would usually expect in swords. It's far easier to wield."

As grateful as she was for the modification, Reiko was still somewhat troubled. "Er…Ishimori-san? I assume this is going to cost me a bit more?" Ryoji stared at her strangely.

"Cost you more? Of course not! It's not—"

"How much will this be, then?"  
"Reiko-chan! Let me finish! It's not going to cost you anything at all!"

"…what do you mean?" Reiko was genuinely mystified.

"I'm not charging you for this sword, Kamiya Reiko. I enjoyed forging it. That's enough of a reward for me," he said simply.

"You can't be serious. Why would you do that? Waste your valuable time and efforts to make a sword for me when you're not even able to put more food on the table because of it?"

"I honestly think my reasons for fashioning this sword for you were not exactly selfless. It's been a long while since I received any requests for swords, and in this day and age, any requests I did receive I denied simply because there is no use for weapons made only to kill in this era. I didn't want my efforts going towards an increase of blood in Japan's vast treasury. But you possess a fire I haven't seen in years, and I do believe you'll use this sword for something other than useless bloodshed. You'll help restore the honorable art of swordsmanship, and that's well worth the loss of a few dozen yen," Ryoji continued passionately.

Reiko sighed and said finally, "Thank you, Ishimori-san. This sword is important to me, and I owe its existence to you."

"Think nothing of it!" he replied airily. Reiko smiled, but there was little joy or mirth behind the halfhearted action. _If you only knew the real reason I want this sword, Ishimori-san…_ She shook her head free from the distressing thoughts. She'd come so far that she was not, under any circumstances, going to abandon her quest for vengeance because of an emotion as frail-spirited as guilt.

"If I may…" Reiko began. "Is it all right for me to see my uncle, or is he terribly busy right now?"

"He's been working all day, so I'm sure he'll rather value his niece's intrusion," Ryoji said pleasantly.

And Seijuro Hiko was indeed hard at work, distributing his attention over three meals he was avidly and carefully preparing. He diced a turnip and deposited its pieces with the contents of one sizzling pot, either completely oblivious to the two new inhabitants of the room or completely apathetic to their presence. Reiko stared at his sharp, professional motions and was, in the simplest of terms, awed by them. _I suppose this is how the Battousai developed his cooking skills…and, in turn, where my own originated._ She speculated.

"Erm…Niitsu-san?" Ryoji began tentatively as Hiko removed a completed pot from the fire. "Your niece is here to see you." Hiko glanced at Reiko quickly, his eyes too quick for her to properly conceal her sword.

"And did she say what she wanted from her uncle?" he asked, returning to his cooking duties. Ryoji blinked, obviously wondering why a man was so cold towards the child who was his blood relative.

"Ji-san," Reiko said pointedly. (A/N: "Ji-san" is the Japanese term for "uncle." I actually find that amusing, since "jii-san" is the term for grandfather. Poor Hiko. He just can't win.) "Okaa-san sent me to see how you were doing, and she knows how much I enjoy talking to you."

"Well! I won't get in your way! If my wife asks where I've gone to, please tell her that we're out of…salmon. Yes," he said thoughtfully. "Anyway, enjoy your reunion!" Ryoji was gone before Reiko could bid him a proper farewell.

"So you're still here," she remarked once he had left, pulling herself up with her arms so the she could seat herself on the counter. Reiko wasn't sure if she was surprised, or simply relieved.

"Your friend's parents offered me a job here, and I accepted. Free room and board, so I was not averse to spending a little more time in Tokyo," he replied to the comment simply. "In any case, Kamiya, where exactly was I to go?"

"I don't know. You're a man, and all men have a tendency to flee from responsibility."

Hiko laughed. "And you have known _all_ men, so I can immediately agree with your deduction, is that it?"

"It doesn't matter." She slid down from the counter, muttering darkly. "You're all the same."

"Are we?" Hiko inquired. "You base your conclusion about all men on one action made by a _single_ man, a man whom you've never even met."

"I've seen many men do severely moronic things, Hiko-san," she answered bitterly.

"But you've never been looking at these things from an unbiased perspective, have you?" Hiko reached for a slab of meat and began cutting into it. "In any event, I have no obligation to do anything for you. We are not demon and contractor, and have made no such pact. I bear no responsibility toward you, and would therefore appreciate if you would desist from speaking as though I owe you something."

"Did you not agree to teach me the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu, should I have been able to procure a sword in time?" Hiko was silent. "I know you noticed my sword, Hiko-san. A real, metal sword, which I went to great lengths to attain. Are you going to back down from our agreement and claim that the words you know you spoke are nothing more than figments of my overactive imagination? They weren't set in stone…nor were they written on paper. You're completely correct. We made no tangible contract. But if you do turn away from our arrangement, then are you even worthy to call yourself a _man_? No…you'd be even less than a man…less than a coward, and less than a fool." Hiko's expression had been severe up till that point, but Reiko definitely discerned a momentary flicker of a smile upon his lips.

"Who did you lie to for that weapon, and what did you tell them?" he asked, smirking. The hollow tension within Reiko was slowly beginning to dispel. Managing to educe any positive expression from Seijuro Hiko was surely a sign that she was slowly and gradually managing to convince him.

"I didn't have to leave the neighborhood, Hiko-san," she said brightly, cautiously approaching him until she stood beside her alleged uncle, cleaving a large piece of tofu into smaller bits. "I came directly here, to see Ishimori Ryoji."

"And attained a free sword in the process. I commend you, taking advantage of a man's kindness and devotion to blacksmithing, and manipulating him into fashioning a lethal weapon for a whelp of a girl," Hiko commented. Reiko paused in her cutting.

"How…how did you know that he gave it to me for free?" she asked slowly. Hiko dropped the squares of beef into a pot and tossed the contents to spread them over the surface of the heated metal.

"That man is immensely kind, often allowing people to stay here for little or no money if they have no where else to go. In return he asks for naught but their word that they will compensate for his services someday. He is most certainly a benevolent man…but most fools are," Hiko said, once again displaying his ephemeral grin. As it faded, he continued, "He wanted to make that blade about as much as you wanted to buy it, and so he felt ashamed almost, ashamed of his desire to generate something that may draw blood from another human being one day. Furthermore, you are a child, and he was aware that the money you were intending to pay him with was not acquired without a great deal of effort on your part. Perhaps he chose not to charge you in lieu of taking money you undoubtedly stole on the minuscule chance that you will return it."

"I didn't steal it!" Reiko cried out indignantly. "…at least, not _all_ of it."

"Regardless, his compassion worked to your advantage."

"I did _not_ manipulate him, Hiko!" she protested.

"Didn't you? Reiko, tell me. Did you lie to him?"

"Well, yes. I couldn't tell him I want a sword so I can kill my father with it!"

"And did you lie to him intent on convincing him to do something for you?"

Reiko hesitated, acutely aware of the hissing juices in the nearby pot. "…I did," she admitted finally.

"And what _is_ manipulation, if not that?You spare no one, for you now seek to manipulate me in a similar manner, although you're employing a different set of tactics."

"I am not _manipulating_ you!" Reiko shouted. "I am appealing to you for help! I have been completely honest with you from the start, Hiko-san! You are possibly the only person I know who has seen this deep into my twisted personality!"

Almost as though he hadn't even acknowledged her last few statements, Hiko said lightly, "I do believe it's time to add the tofu." Reiko nodded and, holding her knife vertically, ran it along the length of her cutting board, brushing off the tofu slices into the boiling pot. She stood before the flames, sheepishly admonishing herself for her outburst. "Reiko, you understand that this is a lifetime commitment."

Reiko brightened. "Hiko-san—"

"There is no _abandoning_ the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi. Once you pick up the sword, you do not let go of it—not until your death. You're a reasonably attractive young child, and you are but eight years old. Your entire life lies ahead of you. You still have the opportunity to find someone and start a family, establish a household you can be proud of, as you're obviously not satisfied with the one your mother and her friends have desperately tried to make suitable for you. You might be sacrificing more than you bargained for, all for the sake of your rash revenge."

"I don't care!" Reiko spat. "I don't _want_ a family, and I've never had a home. The Kamiya dojo is a place I reside in, where I receive nothing more than food and lodging. It is the place where I was lied to from the moment I could understand what I was being told, and the place where my mother attempted to murder me on two occasions. _That_ is my home. _That_ is my family."

"Why don't you go after your mother, then?"

"Because I'd rather eliminate the root of my problems," Reiko said indifferently, although she knew Hiko was not being serious in uttering his suggestion.

"The idea of Hiten Mitsurugi being used solely for someone's revenge disgusts me," Hiko told her, immediately causing her shoulders to slump and her eyes to darken. "_But_. It seems my baka deshi has made a dire error that I would never believe him to be capable of, and as his former teacher, I suppose it is up to me to indirectly see to it that he realizes this mistake and rectifies it. Congratulations, Kamiya Reiko, and consider yourself fortunate. You've found yourself a teacher." Reiko fought the urge to grin, but she could not circumvent the thrilled smile that began playing a steady tune on her lips.

"Thank you! You won't be disappointed, shishou!"

"Shut up," he said gruffly, and Reiko immediately fell silent. "I'd like to first discuss how exactly I'm supposed to teach you. When are we to meet for these lessons, and where?" Reiko's smile and consummate joy slowly evaporated. _I was so focused on convincing him to teach me that I hadn't even _thought_ of how I was to escape from the watchful eyes of everyone I live with. The place will be easy enough to think of…but the _time_…I can't sneak off during the day, as mom forces Sanosuke to walk me to school. I can't come here after school everyday. They're bound to need me for something one day and might come here looking for me. I can't claim to be visiting Satoshi after school every day for the same reason. And I certainly can't change locations every so often, for it'll seem as though I'm avoiding them and they'll start questioning me. The only possible way for me to get lessons would be during a time they won't think to look for me…a time when they're preoccupied with their own problems and desires…as they sleep, and dream._

"The location of our lessons can be where we first met. It's a wide breadth of land and your teaching should go undisturbed. As for the time…it'll have to be at night, if you're up to it."

"Up to it? Child, I've been sleeping a maximum of four hours a night for years. The real question is whether or not _you're_ up to it."

"I'll have to be. It's the only possible time I can get away."

"Am I to believe your mother never checks to see if you're safe in bed at night?"

"She does, and every night in fact," Reiko answered mischievously. "But once she's convinced I'm asleep, she never comes back to look again. I'm certain of this, for I'm a very light sleeper."

"And when does your family go to sleep?"

"Around eleven, I believe. And I'd be able to stay out until four. That's sufficient time before dawn for me to get some sleep."

"I'll be working with two to three hours of sleep. I'm starting to wonder whether this is worth it all," Hiko murmured. "All right, all right. You've got yourself a deal. I expect you there at 11:30, sharp. I won't tolerate any tardiness from you. Now, get lost. I'd like to enjoy the last few hours of the day I'll have without your irksome presence."

"Thanks," Reiko said drably. "But I have one last request. Do you think…you could keep my sword? It'll be hard to conceal at home, and I definitely don't want it found. Unnecessary questions." Hiko studied her carefully, thoroughly. His eyes bore into her own, unnerving her with their piercing quality.

"How long do you believe you'll be able to keep this up, Reiko?" he asked. "How long do you believe our covert lessons will be able to continue before your mother notices your nightly absences and newfound injuries?"

Reiko couldn't suppress a shudder. "…injuries?"

"I do hope you weren't assuming that my training would be painless." Hiko took the sword from her and stored it behind the counter. "I'll keep your sword, if only to stop an idiot like you from hurting yourself on your way home. But bear in mind that the people you share a dwelling with _will_ eventually discover your intentions. What do you plan to do then?"

"Should it happen, I'll think about it then. I'm not going to spare any contemplation on their mundane concerns. If or when they unearth my plans, any attempts to thwart me will be in vain. It'll surely be too late by then," Reiko stated, completely unruffled.

"Ryoji, you fool!" someone shrieked. Reiko and Hiko looked up in unison to find Minako's mother, her normally authoritative demeanor seeming to reverberate from her with a greater intensity than usual. "Niitsu-san! Don't tell me he's shirking work _again_!"  
"I won't then, Ishimori-san," Hiko replied evenly.

"When I get my hands on his skinny little neck, I'll tear him limb from limb!" Employing those threatening words as a parting statement, she regained her dignified manner and sauntered from the room, sparing Reiko minimal notice, for which she was grateful.

"I'll be going then, shishou!" Reiko remarked. "Please take good care of my sword…"

Hiko shook his head wearily. "It's free. I don't see what you're blubbering about."

------

Reiko tip-toed down the hallway, inching at a near-infuriatingly slow pace past her mother's bedroom. The normally commonplace and even comforting creaking of the floorboards seemed to echo throughout the dojo with a relentless resonance. She winced each time her shoeless feet made contact with the rather noisy flooring, and froze each instance she felt or heard movement in a nearby room. And upon every occasion, she would slowly come to realize that the only noise and motion was emanating from the wild fluttering of her heart in her ears.

It was absurd.

At the rate her departure was progressing, Reiko wasn't sure she'd manage to leave the house before dawn came in all its glorious, bothersome splendor. Speeding her pace slightly, she finally moved out of range of Kaoru and Yahiko's hearing, slipped on her sandals, and darted from the house.

Hiko leaned against a tree in the clearing, her sword propped against it along with his own.  
"Did escaping prove troublesome for you?" he asked, his voice an indifferent mockery of his question, as Reiko could tell he wasn't very concerned with how much effort it took for her to arrive as long as she did so punctually and without complaint.

She stopped to catch her breath. "I ran…the whole way…here…" she said in between gasps.

"And you're this breathless? My, you're in worse shape than I thought," he observed. Reiko decided against glowering at him.

"So…where's my sword?" she asked instead.

"You won't be needing that for a while," answered Hiko cryptically. "All right. Before we begin to touch upon the finer nuances of Hiten Mitsurugi, we must first strengthen your frail little body. Now, if you'll notice these four trees—" he pointed to each of them in turn "—you will be jogging round the perimeter of for today's lessons…"

"How many times?"

"About…seventy-five." Reiko's jaw hung. "Is there any particular reason you're gracing me with that moronic look on your face?"

"Seventy-five? I'll die of heart failure before I finish!"

"Should you die on your first day, your demise will serve as nothing more than a blatant indication of how you are unworthy of inheriting Hiten Mitsurugi's secrets," Hiko remarked instantly. "I will permit you to walk a lap every fifteen times."

"How generous of you," she answered sarcastically. "Will you permit a pretty coffin after I _do_ croak?"

Hiko smiled. "It's going to be an interesting few years with you, Kamiya," he said, not bothering to hide his amusement. "And yes, I'll do my best," he added in response to her question.

He seated himself on a rock, extracted a sake jug, and then proceeded to pour himself as liberal an amount of the liquor as would be contained in the small, flattened cup. When Reiko remained unmoving, Hiko waved at her dismissively.

"Stop wasting time, Kamiya. I want your first fifteen laps within the next thirty minutes, and the clock is ticking."

Sighing, Reiko positioned herself on the outside of the haphazard rectangle formed by the four trees, and set off. Within minutes, she grew weary and breathless, gasping for whatever air her constricted lungs could obtain as she ran. By her twelfth consecutive lap, she couldn't breathe, couldn't see, and couldn't think. Her mind alerted her, loudly, that the rest of her body was in dire need of an immense supply of oxygen and fairly soon. Collapsing in the middle of her fourteenth lap, Reiko hungrily gasped at the air—breathing and refilling her lungs the only notion that struck her as important at that present moment. She sat up, however shakily, and noticed Hiko eyeing her with an expression of pure disappointment.

"Kamiya, that was barely fourteen laps around the area. What are you stopping for? I asked for seventy-five, did I not?" he said coldly, the condescension in his voice very clear and pronounced.

"I can't run fifteen laps at once!" Reiko answered desperately. "I haven't had to run in any of my former training, I don't see why this is usef—"

"Are you questioning my methods, whelp?" Hiko interrupted nonchalantly.

"No, it's just—"

"Then you will get up and you will continue with your training. And for that little stunt, I want five more laps than I asked for previously." Reiko glared at him fiercely, but her new tutor remained resolute and watched her, waiting for her to begin where she left off.

The next set of fifteen laps proved no easier than the first, and Reiko's "little stunts" did not seem to decline in number. By the end of the session, she had a total of ninety rounds to complete as opposed to seventy-five or eighty.

"Well, that wasn't too horrible," Hiko remarked as she skidded to a halt. "I expected no better, especially since all of your former teachers seem to have no actual clue as to what strengthening the body truly entails."

"Shishou, with all due respect, I don't see how this jogging session will teach me anything. I assumed that our first lesson would have actual swordsmanship! Why else would you have been so intent on having me find an actual sword if I wasn't even going to put it to use?"

"I never said I needed you to find yourself a sword to actually use it at the start of training, did I? I was hoping that you'd be unable to find an idiot willing to forge a sword for or sell a sword to a mere child. Sadly, you barely had to leave home to find one such idiot. In any event, _because_ you don't understand what that jogging session was intended for is proof that you still have much to learn," Hiko replied. "This was a test of your endurance, your stamina. A swordsman cannot ever falter in battle the way you did during your run, be he tired or terminally ill."

Reiko remained silent for a brief moment, before saying softly, "But…I was hoping to at least learn an attack of some sort today…haven't I proved my worth, shishou? What do I have to do to make it so that you'll accept me as your pupil?" Hiko regarded her for several seconds, before rising to his feet and lifting both their swords. He tossed her the sword Ishimori Ryoji had fashioned for her, and she caught it in one hand. Although Reiko remembered the lightness of the modified katana, she was still slightly caught unawares by it, her arm dropping to her side with what could only be described as expected weight.

"Unsheathe your sword," he commanded. Reiko obeyed. "Now, show me the stance you learned as a student of the Kamiya Kasshin ryuu." Reiko braced her feet against the ground and gripped the hilt with both hands, holding the sword just in front her chest. A chuckle erupted from Seijuro Hiko's lips as he came to stand before her. "Now, there are a number of things that must be corrected when it comes to your stance. Firstly: you're slouching. What are you trying to do by inclining your shoulders, protect your sword? Being hunchbacked also detracts from your dignity. Straighten your posture. Secondly, you hold your sword way too close to your body." He thrust out his own sword and Reiko blocked his attack with her weapon, prepared to attack him in return, but Hiko did not pull his sword away. Instead, he pushed against her sword, bringing both blades precariously close to her neck. As Reiko felt the tip of his cutting edge touch her neck, he released both swords from their locked hold and sheathed his. "If your weapon is too close to your body, it becomes increasingly more difficult to strike back when you are attacked. You can but defend yourself, and while defense is a vital factor in swordsmanship, defense—on its own—is nothing. You cannot parry attacks and evade getting hurt forever, and you can be assured that your opponent will have honed both his offensive tactics and defensive tactics. If you're powerless to attack your enemy, you will lose." Reiko stared at her feet. "Especially if your opponent is to be my former pupil. How do you think he got the name 'Hitokiri Battousai?' His offense is impeccable, second only to my own, of course."

"Thank you for scolding me, shishou! I suppose this has some sort of underlying purpose to it as well?" Reiko snapped.

"I am your instructor. I am permitted to scold you, insult you, and possibly even hurt you if I believe it will teach you something. If the Hitokiri Battousai were to take you seriously, you'd be killed before you could open your mouth to scream or wail. You have no knowledge of a proper stance in any style of swordsmanship. You can barely run fifteen laps around a small area before you pass out, winded. About the only thing you _do_ know is how to properly _hold_ a sword. Before I can even begin to _consider_ teaching you an attack, you must first learn the basics, Kamiya. And at your present level, whatever knowledge you have of the art of swordsmanship is failing you," Hiko explained. "You asked what you have to do to prove your worth, didn't you? Well, here's your answer. When you overcome the weaknesses of your body, when you are able to run those ninety laps as I coach you to, when you understand how important it is to strengthen your pitifully weak physique, then and only then will you have proved your worth to me. Swordsmanship may have a great deal to do with psychoanalysis and quick thinking, but without adequate physical stamina, as without offense, there is nothing."

Reiko listened to and comprehended Seijuro Hiko's words, accepting the value of his brutal honesty. _If anyone, anyone at all, can prepare me to face a killer…the only candidate is this man, the one who made him a killer in the first place, the one who helped formulate the inner workings of Shinta Himura's mind and can therefore provide insight into them._ She bowed her head and offered him words of submission.

"I am prepared to undergo whatever tasks you wish, shishou, and whatever training you feel is necessary for my mastery of your technique."

Hiko brightened. "Good!" he said jovially. "Right now, you're going to help me find a shop that sells alcohol."

Reiko blinked. "I'm not sure I understand, shishou…" she remarked slowly. In response, Hiko overturned his jug, demonstrating how not even a drop fell from the uncapped container.

"I'm out of sake."

------

"A break?" Hiko muttered grumpily. "You want me to allow you a week of valuable time to spar with your friends?"

Reiko nodded. "I know it's only been a few months since our lessons started, but even you have to admit that I've gotten considerably better than I was when I first came to you. I can run your goddamned laps and I have an excellent stance. I can parry, I can strike properly—"

"You're barely making dents in that tree, baka deshi!" Hiko interrupted.

"I know you're not going to teach me anything of use until I can cleave it in half, yes, but even so, don't you think it's time I practiced what I've already learned in a different setting—with people my own age?" Reiko persisted.

"You _have_ gotten better. You're certainly not gasping for breath anymore, as it's a wonder you shut up at all lately," Hiko noted in an amused voice.

"I haven't had a decent night's sleep in five months, and neither have you. Think of this week as a time for both of us to rest up!" she went on, brightly. "Besides, you can use it for beauty sleep. Lessen the gray hairs you've started sporting."

"Gray…hairs…?" Hiko blanched.

"I was only joking, shishou," Reiko responded after laughing loudly.

"Well, whatever gray hairs I _do_ have could only have come from you," Hiko barked. "All right, all right. Permission granted. You obviously can't spar with them during the day, for fear of being spotted by police officers and getting arrested. I actually think it'll do you some good to get knocked on your butt a few times. It should curb any latent arrogance you possess." Reiko tipped the sake jug and poured him some of the liquor eagerly.

"So I get a week? And my sword for that week as well?" Nodding, Hiko deposited the katana in her lap.

"Your sword and your body better both be here next Monday, Reiko, or I'll fetch you at home." Reiko knew immediately that this was a threat her master would not hesitate to execute.

"Understood."

"Very well," Hiko dismissed her. "Our lesson for today is finished. Get home before the sun rises, or you'll be seen."

Arriving home at about four in the morning, Reiko crumpled onto her futon and promptly fell asleep, savoring the three hours of sleep she would be permitted before having to waken to endure another day of Inoue-sensei's irritating lectures and instructions. Those three hours elapsed far too swiftly for her liking, for Kaoru was soon tapping on her door.

"Get up, Reiko. You'll be late again," Kaoru was urging. Muttering phrases she was thankful her mother couldn't hear, Reiko dressed herself and emerged from her room to have her morning meal.

"Reiko, you look terrible," Sanosuke commented as she sat down and reached for a bowl. "Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Do I _look_ like I'm getting enough sleep?"

"Well, what the hell are you doing at night that keeps you from sleeping?" he asked. (A/N: The author will now be thwapped for using something that resembles bad innuendo that much.)

"Certainly not what you and Megumi are doing," Reiko replied wickedly.

"Reiko!" chorused three reprimanding voices from the table.

"What? I meant, they sleep! And I don't!"

"Sanosuke's one of your surrogate parents, Reiko," Megumi said wearily, spooning some rice into her bowl. "And we are also accustomed to such remarks. We'd all know what he meant, and we all know what you meant. How about an actual explanation of why you appear so sleep-deprived?"

"I've been suffering from insomnia," Reiko answered instantly, thankfully starting on her meal.

Kaoru looked concerned. "Reiko, you're nine years old. There is no reason for you to be unable to sleep at night," she observed. "Tell me. Is anything troubling you?"

"No."

"Are you stressed about anything? Something school-related, perhaps?"

"No," Reiko repeated.

"Megumi, you should have a look at her today, once she returns from school." Megumi nodded.

"Stop by later today, Reiko," Megumi said absently, scrutinizing a medical chart. "If I'm busy, wait for me. I've got a few deliveries scheduled for today."

Reiko nodded and finished the last morsels of food in her bowl. "I'll get going now," she announced, rising and grabbing Sanosuke's collar.

"Megumi, there is most definitely something she's hiding…" Kaoru said. "I know there is, I only wish she'd tell me what's ailing her. I would confront her about it, but that's useless. She'd only be more reluctant to speak to me about her dilemmas."

"Kaoru, you know Reiko's a difficult person. She won't tell you anything unless it either won't affect her plans or plays into them." Megumi folded the chart and laid it aside. "She'll tell you soon enough if something _is_ bothering her, you know that much."

"Do you…" Kaoru bit her lip nervously. "Do you think it's because May's almost here?"

"Kaoru, May's not for another month."

"What else can it be, then?" she asked urgently.

"You're being paranoid. Not everything that affects the life of your child is centered on you, Kaoru." Kaoru sighed, knowing that Megumi's words reflected a wisdom she should heed. However determined she was to find out what her daughter was hiding, she refused to intrude upon her privacy and would instead lie in wait until Reiko herself approached her with whatever issues she was facing.

"Well, if it isn't Kamiya…and on time, for once! To what do we owe this pleasure?" Kyo greeted Reiko with those words and a grin as she arrived.

"To some good news!" Reiko responded. "I convinced shishou to give me a week off from lessons, which means I get to spar with all of you again!"

"You could spar with us just as easily during the daytime, Reiko," Satoshi pointed out. "It's you who insists on never picking up a bokuto again, and never stepping into my house, where you can use a katana."

"We tried the second scenario, Satoshi. Your father doesn't exactly value my presence, and being looked upon with that kind of degree of hatred can't be good for my skin," Reiko said cheerfully.

"You're happier than we've seen you in a while," Akira remarked.

"You've been seeing a lot lately, come to think of it," Reiko said suggestively as Akira stole a glance at the group of girls seated several feet away from their own circle. Akira growled at her and resumed his surveillance. "Besides, kicking Satoshi's ass with a bokuto is far less satisfying than kicking it with a katana," she confessed.

"Ah…koishi, you wound me," Satoshi said with mock despair.

"Would you drop that stupid nickname already?" Reiko asked angrily. "Everyone we know thinks we're…_involved_."

"Because they're insane," Kyo stated blankly. "Anyone who knows you _well_ knows that you hate men, and hate romantic relationships. Couple the two and you're ready to kill."

"And yet, they also notice that the only people I'm ever around happen to be male."

"Yes, but what they _don't_ know is that you're only using us for swordsmanship practice, and we're all twigs you intend to break underfoot on your way to completing this personal vendetta you refuse to tell us about," Kyo went on.

"Don't start that, Kyon," Reiko said warningly. "I'm not going to tell you anything, so don't bring it up and don't try to convince me."

As soon as the words escaped Reiko's mouth, Inoue-sensei entered the room and motioned for her students to rise.

"Our first lesson today will be conducted in the yard outside, so I'd like you all to form two lines and follow me. Do this quickly," Inoue-sensei ordered. Excited muttering broke out among Reiko's peers.

"Outside? What can we do there?"

"Maybe there's something she wants us to see?"

"A picnic! I hope it's a picnic!"

Reiko paid her classmates no heed and instead did as Inoue-sensei requested, falling in place behind Satoshi, and regretting that she would not be able to sleep through that day's lessons as she normally did. Distantly, she processed that Inoue-sensei was speaking, undoubtedly explaining the purpose of their outdoor exercises, but Reiko spared no thoughts on her and instead devoted her attention to analyzing her conversation with Kyo. It was true that she had no female friends within her own age group, and but one outside of it. A number of the things she did struck her as hypocrisy—she had an undying hatred for men, and yet the only people she ever chose to speak to were male, and the only people she trusted with knowing of her secret midnight lessons were also male. She loathed her father with every fiber of her being, and reviled what he became in place of the person he could've been, but she was doing nothing more than carefully and accurately following in his footsteps. _After I master the Hiten Mitsurugi ryuu…and after I kill him…I will have become a murderer as well… _she admitted to herself. _No, _she thought after a moment. _No. I differ from him in the sense that I will kill but one person in my lifetime, and it will be a person who thoughtlessly provoked me, not a collection of nameless beings I've never met. And I will fight for myself and for my mother, not for the debauched Meiji government. _That _is where our paths diverge, Battousai._

But what still disturbed her greatly was how Kyo seemed to realize Reiko's relationship with the four of them—how she was simply using them to meet her ends. _I suppose I haven't been secretive about it…but even so, he's right, and it's probably a stroke of luck that he noticed. I don't need any of the four of them developing an attachment to me, not with what I intend to become…and not when I stand as great chance of dying as I do._

"Now, the girls will run two laps, the boys four. We will repeat this several times," Inoue-sensei was clarifying for the students when Reiko detached from her thoughts. "Any questions?"

"I've got one," Reiko whispered to Satoshi. "What the hell?"

"Let me guess—you weren't paying attention?"

"…do I ever?"

"She explained that schools in Japan have now adopted the Western idea of physical education and that we will now have to do some sort of bodily activity once a week. We're running laps today." Reiko fought down the explicable urge she had to cackle.

"And the girls have to do two laps?" Satoshi nodded. "What an utter waste of my _time_."

"The girls will go first," Inoue-sensei continued. "So, all of you, please line up in a single line starting in this corner"—she gesticulated in the direction of the place they were to start from—"and begin." Reiko's teacher was evidently trying her hardest to disregard the furious protests from her female students, most of whom had never partaken in any strenuous activity. Reiko, without waiting for her classmates to queue, simply jogged to the region Inoue-sensei indicated minutes earlier and began her jog. She had completed the assigned laps in under a minute, and came to a stop, stretching and wholly unaware of the way her teacher and fellow students gaped at her.

"Kamiya…that was…very good," Inoue-sensei complimented her slowly. "I'm impressed. Perhaps we should have you run with the boys…this doesn't seem challenging enough for you."

Reiko shrugged. "I wouldn't mind that, Inoue-dono," she responded indifferently.

"Good. Now, will the _rest_ of the girls stop moaning about their non-existent health disorders and please line up to complete their laps?" Inoue-sensei shrieked at them, ordering them into compliance.

Satoshi, Kyo, Akira, and Kensuke were all chuckling once she went up to them.

"'That was…very good,'" Kyo mimicked their instructor. "That wasn't good, that was hilarious. Did you have to go all out on your first day? She looked like she was about to have a stroke."

"Well, Inoue-sensei should've expected it. Reiko's from a dojo, after all," Kensuke said.

"Inoue-sensei doesn't expect any shred of talent from me, academic or otherwise. But she's biased because I remind her of someone she once knew and feared, so I forgive her for being a cowering fool," Reiko remarked.

"…how do you know this?" Satoshi inquired after a moment.

"She told me."

"Did she say who it was?"

"It's not as if any of you know him either way, Satoshi," Reiko brushed his question off.

"Well, then there's no reason for you not to tell us!" he insisted. Reiko sighed and shook her head. _I don't want to tell them of my parentage…but they hopefully won't draw anything from this._

"The Hitokiri Battousai."

"What?" the four boys exclaimed incredulously.

Reiko smiled, the expression both bitter and ironic. She repeated her previous words with a slight degree more hate sullenness, and a pronounced degree more revulsion. "I resemble her childhood memory of that blasted hero of the Bakumatsu, the murderer who slew hundreds of people to earn his name. Yes. Inoue-sensei associates me with the Hitokiri Battousai…" They gazed at her with baffled expressions. "Anyway, she's ordering us to line up for our turn. Let's get going." Almost simultaneously, the four shook their heads and trailed after her.

------

Reiko dragged her sword along the dirt path that led to the location of her rendezvous with Satoshi and the others, unwittingly carving a thin, indented track alongside her. Her movements were illuminated by naught but the pale, crescent moon that hung precariously in the obsidian sky above her. An aesthete might have paused to revel in the delicate beauty nature had spun, but the overall atmosphere of the night was haplessly wasted on Reiko as she trudged down the inclined, dirt-paved plane.

"Do you show up for anything on time, Reiko?" Kyo shot at her once she came within hearing-range. "We've been waiting for you for at least a half-hour. Your master puts up with this? I'd spear you through!"  
"Ignore him," Satoshi advised, "he's never been a patient person."

"If I spent my life waiting for things to happen, I'd be you, Satoshi—arguing non-stop with my asshole father, studying every business text in the country while never actually intending to use the information, and agonizing over my mother's murder without seeking retribution! You sit on your ass waiting for everything to work itself out, Satoshi! You've got extensive resources, you've got the money—why not find out who killed her, at least?" Kyo shouted at Satoshi vehemently.

Satoshi watched Kyo's visage the whole while, his own features completely impassive, before saying, "We should begin. Kyo. Reiko." Reiko studied them both, and any thoughts she had been entertaining about her current companions identifying who she really was fled her mind. Earlier, she had experienced exclusion among Satoshi and Kyo that she had attributed to her interference in some sort of brotherly bond. Now, she became suddenly aware of the black threads of Satoshi's past she could never grasp—threads Kyo was masterfully weaving against him.

"Stop acting like it doesn't faze you, you chipper little bastard!" Kyo went on loudly. "You always put on a smile when you're around us! You're always so damn _happy_ around us! You're so guarded I never know what you're thinking anymore!"

"Kyo—"

"What happened to our promise to avenge her death? She was killed before our very eyes, Satoshi!"

"I know, Kyo. I was there." He voice was placid and cool—uncomfortably reminiscent of the water that conceals a lurking predator.

"You haven't picked up your sword in two months! You made me promise to help you, push you if you ever faltered! You haven't just been faltering, Satoshi, you're at a complete standstill! I feel as though I care about this more than you do!"

"_YOU DON'T_!" Satoshi bellowed, noticing Reiko's involuntary twitch at the sound of him raising his voice to such an extreme for the first time since they'd met. "Kyo, she was _my _mother! It's all _my_ fault she died! Damn straight I'm avenging her death, you bastard, when she died protecting _me_!" To both Reiko and Satoshi's unparalleled surprise, Kyo grinned.

"Now _that_, Satoshi, is more like it!" he said agreeably, slapping him on the back. "Now, come on. Let Reiko kick your ass. It'll make you feel better." His efforts earned him a feeble grin from the downtrodden looking Yagami heir.

"See, gentlemen, this is why I think your gender is bound to suffer in an eternal hell of stupidity. If this is how friends resolve problems, I'm thrilled I don't have any," she stated drably.

"Yeah, great, anyway, Kensuke couldn't sneak out and Akira refused to even _attempt_ staying out this late."

"Uh huh," Reiko drawled, drawing her katana and enjoying the flash of moonlight dancing across the surface of the blade as she did so.

"The thought of doing anything illegal disturbs him so. 'We'll be out after curfew? And Reiko will have an actual sword? …I'm probably going to be busy, yes…' He's such a falsely demure little boy it makes me want to kill him," Kyo murmured. The words barely registered on Reiko, who was wholly taking pleasure in the effortless way in which her sword glided through the air as she rotated and pivoted her wrist. Originally, Hiko was cautious of her handling weapons, and she noticed the misgivings he still seemed to bear about the issue, discernible in the anxious stare that overcame his handsome features each time she swung her sword.

"Well, Kamiya? How about a match?" Kyo requested, standing before her and peering at her intently. "If you're done playing, that is…"

Reiko could not resist rolling her eyes. "Hideyoshi, your arrogance is forever weighing you. And remember, weight hinders motion…slows your progression…"

Kyo's smirk was almost sphinx-like. "I can't believe how serious that comment sounded. Kamiya, I am humoring you. You are female and have not even been training for the better part of a year. This match should be over in seconds."

"Tsk, tsk, Hideyoshi. Heed my advice on cockiness. It's the greatest weapon your enemy can use against you, rendering even the strongest of foes a complete novice," Reiko intoned the words Hiko had drilled into her mind barely a month ago.

Kyo positioned his bokuto. "Well, I'll heed your advice, Kamiya. When I run across an _actual_ foe, I will tone down my conceit." Reiko held her sword before her, ready to parry any of his attacks. There was absolutely nothing she loathed more than members of the male population, save for members of that population with a fine, distinguishable degree of haughtiness. She steadied her feet against the dirt, planting herself firmly in order to better ward off any of Kyo's attacks. Much to her surprise—and, later, her displeasure—Kyo moved sluggishly, and she could easily anticipate his attack on her right arm. Swerving from his path, Reiko slapped his back with the blunt edge of her katana and stood eyeing his fallen figure with complete disappointment.

"This? _This_ is what you've got to show me after all that bragging?" Kyo rose to his feet.

"I was just getting warmed up," he said, his voice rather nonchalant. Reiko breathed out slowly and assumed her battle position again.

"Well, are you finished?" she inquired coldly.

"I would say so." By way of a reply, Reiko lunged at him, only to have him circumvent her intended blow to his stomach with a simple tap on the arm—as attention-lacking and indifferent as the rest of their interaction had been.

And it was at that moment that Reiko became painstakingly aware of something she should've realized from the beginning: Kyo, confident and apathetic to her movements though he was, was by no means a failure at his swordsmanship style. Hideyoshi Kyo was not wasting the knowledge he had attained after five years of training with an experienced master whose name he refused to speak without reverence, he was simply not choosing to put it to any use against her. He was committing to the vow he'd made her, a vow that explicitly stated he would not take her seriously. Yes, Kyo was no amateur, as Reiko could see in his deft, expert actions against her. His attacks could have defeated her in mere moments. It was the way he chose to employ his talent that led the match to have lasted even this long. Kyo avoided her vital points, his blows destined for her extremities or her shoulders alone. He was especially meticulous when it came to her chest or abdomen, rerouting attacks that seemed to be headed for those regions towards any other available body part.

And then Reiko knew. She finally comprehended the overly apparent reason why the most capable swordsman she knew within her age group wasn't giving her the respect or attention he would give Satoshi, Akira, or Kensuke.

It was because she was female.

She allowed her legs to give way and settled with an audible thump onto the filthy ground, tilting her head back and looking directly into Kyo's astonished green eyes.

"Kamiya, what the _hell _are you doing? Do you commonly interrupt a battle by sitting your ass down on the ground and looking at your opponent like a doe-eyed idiot?"

"Not commonly, no. Although I would hardly call this a battle."

"I was beating you, and this is how you respond? Sore loser, Reiko-san?"

"You weren't beating me, you were _toying_ with me," she put in calmly. "You refused to attack me as you would Satoshi, for example. You steered clear of any of my…er…female body parts. What are you afraid of? Castrating me by poking me in the stomach?" Kyo truly looked taken aback, as though he had only _subconsciously _been excluding certain areas of Reiko's person. "You were trying to beat me slowly, to seem as though I put up a good fight. You're an excellent swordsman, Kyo. But you're also an asshole and of completely no use to me if you're going to undermine me purely because I'm a girl. I'm never going to get any better if I don't practice with people who are actually capable of teaching me something." She rose leisurely, her icy, blue gaze locked on his jade one. "Thank you for wasting my time, Hideyoshi." She closed her eyes and sheathed the katana, proceeding to dust herself off once she was finished.

"Reiko…I don't think…he wasn't…" Satoshi chimed in weakly.

"Forget it, Satoshi. Finish the rest of today's sparring session without me," she said airily. She turned her back on them and commenced with covering the long distance between her current location and the Kamiya dojo.

"So that's it? I piss you off a little and you're running home?" Kyo called to her. Reiko paused, and devoted her concentration to affixing her sword to her waist. "I warned you that I'd be humoring you, I don't see why you're so offend—"

"Apparently you misunderstood what humoring a person like me truly entails, Hideyoshi," Reiko replied without turning around. "In no way would going easy on me and treating me as your inferior manage to _humor _me." Sensing that Kyo was doing no more than silently fuming, she began walking away once more.

"Dammit, Kamiya, if you think—" Kyo's impending reprisal was cut short as Satoshi placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Let her go, Kyo. It's useless to try reversing anything that bruises Reiko's pride."

"I don't want to reverse it; I want to beat her face in!" Kyo snapped.

"Why the sudden change?" Satoshi asked playfully.

"No one psychoanalyzes me and gets away with it!"

"Besides the therapists your mother sent you to?"

"…yes." The two laughed uproariously before realizing that it was nearly midnight, and the punishment for being discovered outside of their homes after-hours without the supervision of an adult would be less than lenient. Once their mirth had subsided, Kyo suddenly adopted a more apologetic veneer. "Satoshi, I'm sorry for exploding on you like that. I know your mother was important to you, and I know you want nothing more than compensation for her death."

"Oh. Don't worry about that. I told you to slap sense into me if I ever strayed from my path, and I did…for a while. You only did what I made you promise to do, so I have naught but words of gratitude for you." Kyo appeared relieved. "However…you are wrong about one thing."

"Yeah?"

"There is no such thing as compensation for my mother's death."

-----

Reiko entered her room as quietly as her sock-encased feet could muster, sliding her door shut behind her and stuffing her sword rather unceremoniously beneath the pile of clothing that served as her wardrobe. Shedding her gi, she crawled under the primary layers of her futon and curled up beneath the warmth her bed generated, a warmth she often cherished when arriving home battered and exhausted after several hours with Seijuro Hiko. She laid there, the moon lavishing its faint light on the belongings in her excessively tidy room—she had little time to spend in it, after all—and realized how she had never wholly appreciated the muffled state of the dojo so late at night. To her, every barely audible sound appeared magnified thousands upon thousands of times, and each nervous creak of the floorboards catalyzed a wild fluttering in her ears. But now…as she herself experienced a state of utter peace, the calm pervaded her surroundings as well.

She turned and stared at the ceiling, brushing her obsidian bangs out of her eyes and scanning the shadows the wooden panels cast, and became painfully aware of something she had not anticipated: she was wide awake. She had grown accustomed to arriving home with her energy drained to the brink of death, and had been passing out, hungrily claiming whatever sleep she could in the brief hours before she would rouse herself to begin another tedious day at school and another arduous night with her mentor. She had no doubts that sleep was the smallest helping of ambrosia that the gods had decided to deal out to mankind—had she believed in gods, of course.

And gradually, her heartbeat's pace slowed and her mind ceased its racing, delving instead into the convoluted worlds of her dreams.

_ Reiko blearily forced open her eyes, spotting the two figures before her—one, a man of significantly tall stature, clad in a long, white coat adorned with a yellow collar, the other, a fairly shorter man wearing a magenta gi and a white hakama. Once her gaze fell on this man, however, Reiko found that her eyes were as if _adhered_ to him, so difficult was it to shift her gaze elsewhere. He had an array of flaming red hair, arranged in a manner almost identical to her own. Several yards away from them, Reiko's eyes finally came to rest on a third figure, one that nearly made her stagger back in shock._

_ Yahiko. One of her caretakers and the first swordsmanship tutor she'd ever known stood scanning the battleground—it was obviously a battleground, as both men were breathing raggedly and had weapons drawn—before him, positively radiating anxiety. Not for the first time since her bizarre, vivid dreams had begun, Reiko found herself wondering where she was and, in addition, who those two men could possibly have been. The tall man, donned in western attire and possessing short, dark hair with bangs shrouding his eyes, as well as a somewhat protruding chin, appeared to be holding a blade shorter even than a wakizashi. Glancing around skittishly, she took a few tentative steps towards the temporarily stationary fighters and saw that what the man clasped was, in fact, a kodachi._

_ "At first glance," the red-haired man was saying, "it would appear that the one with the _katana _holds the advantage. But longer ranges also have more blind spots. You use kodachi against katana within this one's blind spot, and then you attack with your fist. But if the range of the katana is altered to that of the kodachi, the blind spot naturally shrinks." After his explanation was complete, Reiko glanced at his katana, which she found was coated with his own blood. The man was firmly holding it not by its hilt, but by the blade's base._

_ His opponent had not failed to make this observation as well. "…if you simply grasp it, especially at the base where it's most dull, it won't dig into the bone. Break the bone by letting the flesh be cut, is it? I have seen the true essence of the hitokiri." If Reiko were to be a person freer with her emotions, she was sure her jaw would have descended far enough to make a dent in the floor. That one word had assured her of the red-haired man's identity, and had explained _why _she felt as though she'd met him before. She had become acquainted with this man—most certainly with his outward features, for she gazed at a replica of them everyday._

_ "Hitokiri Battousai," she uttered softly, painfully aware of her desire to approach him and run his own katana through his chest, and of its impossibility. Shaking her head, Reiko redirected her attention at the scene her father was partaking in and noticed that his adversary had suddenly moved as though to attack him. Expecting a few rapid blows, Reiko was surprised once she realized how sluggishly he was moving. His intentions, however, became clear to her once his figure seemed to diverge into several doppelgangers, making it impossible for even one with mastery of Hiten Mitsurugi—a sword style dedicated to foresight of a foe's attacks—to clearly perceive his next move._

This is…sword dance! _The Battousai's thoughts invaded her mind. _Though not _ritual _dance, but _combat _sword-dance, combining your kodachi skill with martial-arts movement! Shinomori Aoshi's _true _fighting style…

Shinomori Aoshi. A name was all her dream had left her as her slumber dissipated, and wafts of cool morning air, accompanied by rays of sunlight, streamed in through her windows, rousing her.

"Damn it all to hell," she said through gritted teeth. This dream, just as her previous one, had not awarded her with a unambiguous image of what her father truly looked like—not one she could recall in her waking state, in any case—nor had it provided her with a detail as minute as his name. The advent of reality had, as always, ruthlessly snatched from her the tiniest snippets of information her dreams about her father proffered.

Throwing back her covers, she swiftly changed into cleaner clothing and headed towards the kitchen, intent on being its first visitor for the day as opposed to its last.

"Reiko-chan," Kaoru greeted her with an uncharacteristic smile as Reiko entered the room, a smile that would have deadened Reiko's movements had she granted it any attention.

"Ohayou," Reiko answered, coming to stand beside her mother and feeling slightly bewildered that someone had still managed to wake up before her when she arose at the crack of dawn. "Um…are you sure _you _want to cook breakfast?" After nine years of residing under the same roof as Kaoru Kamiya, Reiko was no stranger to atrocious cooking and its drastic consequences. And ordinarily, the comment would have elicited a sharp reprimand, as Kaoru appeared very sensitive about her faults in that field. That morning, however, Kaoru's halcyon, knowing smile persisted once Reiko superseded her as the breakfast chef.

"So…how was your sleep?" Kaoru inquired curiously. "Did seeing Megumi help?"

"Immensely," Reiko scoffed. The only thing Megumi's checkup had "helped" was the vicious throbbing migraine that plagued Reiko for most of the rest of the day, as the Fox Lady had been unable to stop demeaning Sanosuke for longer than eighteen seconds. Mildly amused by this, Reiko wasn't sure whether it was because her uncle had done something incredibly wrong or right.

"You seem more rested, Rei," Kaoru observed, and Reiko detected a faint hint of...cunning?...in her mother's words. Blinking, Reiko turned to face her.

"I suppose I am," she answered evenly. "I _did _get more sleep."

"However did you manage that, what with your stealthy stroll in the middle of the night?"

Reiko froze, and froze so thoroughly she felt her blood flow itself had been paralyzed. _She…knows…_she thought in an aberrant terror. _She knows I've been sneaking out, or at least that I did so last night…_ And for the first time in many months, Reiko had found herself speechless.

"Now imagine my surprise when I found my nine-year-old daughter's shoes were not by the door, and the rest of her was no where in sight either?" The grin had all but been wiped from her features as she spoke. "Where exactly were you, Reiko, at midnight and completely unsupervised?" Kaoru's appraising eyes bore into Reiko's, but Reiko met them completely unperturbed.

"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk," she lied. "I tend to do that—the night air is what generally helps me get to sleep in the first place." Kaoru opened her mouth to reply, but Reiko's explanation was punctuated instead by a young and disgruntled male voice.

"Dammit, Yukimi, stop fussing! You haven't stopped since mom gave you to me!" Reiko and Kaoru looked at each other, brows furrowed in confusion, their impending quarrel cast aside for the time being.

"Are you expecting someone?" Kaoru asked.

"Am I ever?"

"Point taken."

"I'll check who it is," Reiko volunteered quickly, laying her knife down and running towards the door. She pushed it open, and straightened, surveying the figure that stood before her. He was a full head taller than she was, sporting short hair that had a near-bluish quality. He balanced a small toddler on his left side, arms firmly wrapped about her middle.  
For the second time in the space of five minutes, Reiko couldn't move. The boy resembled, completely, the man who had employed use of combat sword dance in her dream, only appeared fifteen or so years younger.

Before she could stop herself, Reiko blurted out, "Aoshi Shinomori!" The boy regarded her lazily as though only just noticing her, and shifted the girl to his other side, working his collar free from her grasp.

"You know my father, do you?"

-----

And that's all she wrote for chapter nine, folks. (hides) Don't pelt me with sharp objects for taking a year to write this—high school is demanding. T.T Anyway, this chapter was pretty slow, and its main purpose was to introduce a few new characters and have Reiko start her lessons with Hiko…and yes, I left off at a cliffhanger.

I do love cliffhangers.

Anyway, please, review. (cries) If only so I know that _someone _is still with me on this thing.


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